There have been many players who have moved in and out of the Wallabies squad over the last three decades – but few have had the journey that James O’Connor has had.
He is a player who has ridden the rollercoaster from exciting young talent to Australian rugby exile and back again as its senior statesman.
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O'Connor, 35, has arguably never higher stocks following a five-year stint at the Queensland Reds - including their 2021 Super Rugby AU title - and this year's championship season with the Crusaders.
Now regarded as a calm head and ideal mentor to young playmakers, O'Connor was once Australia's pin-up boy after bursting onto the scene in 2008 as a Super Rugby and Test debutant.
The Nudgee product quickly became a Wallabies staple under Robbie Deans and went on to feature in all three 2013 Tests against the British & Irish Lions – however a series of off-field indiscretions culminated in his contract being torn up after the 2013 season.
O’Connor then went abroad to Toulon either side of a single season with Queensland in his failed bid to qualify for Michael Cheika's 2015 World Cup squad.
However, his second stint at Toulon from 2016-2017 yielded a Top 14 Final appearance and a subsequent transfer to English Premiership side Sale Sharks from 2017-2019 saw the former "Amigo" take on further responsibility as a leader.
O'Connor returned to Queensland in 2019 and flourished under a rebuilding outfit and the steady hand of Brad Thorn, going on to be selected for Michael Cheika's 2019 Wallabies World Cup campaign and make his long-awaited return in gold.
2021 saw O'Connor captain the Reds and scoring all their points - including a famous 85th minute try - to defeat the ACT Brumbies 19-16 in the COVID-affected domestic season final.
O’Connor would relinquish the Reds captaincy after Super Rugby went Pacific but remained a regular Queensland starter and a key member of Dave Rennie's Wallabies set-up through 2021 and 2022 before controversially missing out on Eddie Jones' 2023 Rugby World Cup side.
2024 saw O'Connor plagued by injury before his off-season signing with the Crusaders yielded a maiden Super Rugby Pacific title in 2025.
O’Connor is set to head back overseas again after signing with the Leicester Tigers for the 2025-26 season - but there's one twist in the tale left.
Despite being an effective finisher for the Crusaders, O’Connor, until recently, was an outsider to play against the Lions, aside from a potential spot in the AUNZ XV – which he notably missed out on in place of Tane Edmed and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips.
While conversations were had with Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, a call up seemed unlikely; with Noah Lolesio backed as Schmidt’s starting flyhalf, supported by Ben Donaldson and Lynagh.
That is, until a devastating neck injury at the 11th hour to Lolesio against Fiji in Newcastle – with the star Brumbies playmaker requiring surgery and being ruled out for the remainder of the series.
O’Connor had indicated a desire to get in Schmidt’s camp and face the same foe again that he did 12 years ago – and he was not alone. His late inclusion received notable support from Brumbies head coach Stephen Larkham, Wallaby great Matt Giteau and ex-Lions coach Sir Ian McGeechan, while former Wallabies Tim Horan and Michael Hooper believed Bernard Foley should fill in the gap left by Lolesio’s injury.
With Donaldson now expected to step into the starting playmaker role, and Edmed committed to the AUNZ XV side, the door has now opened for the 64-capped Wallaby veteran to once again play for the Wallabies.
With it, O’Connor will get a chance to exorcise demons from that 2013 series loss against an old foe.
It’s been a rollercoaster ride of a career for James O’Connor to get back to the Wallabies – but then again, that is how it has always been for a player unlike any other to have worn the gold and green jersey.
