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James O'Connor to show off his dancing feet against Baa-Baas
Wayne Smith | December 03, 2008
Article from: The Australian
TALENT has taken James O'Connor to Wembley and the launchpad of his international career, his first start for the Wallabies today against a star-studded Barbarians side, but now coach Robbie Deans wants to see what else the 18-year-old has got.
"Talent gets you here, it doesn't take you any further," Deans said yesterday on the eve of the final game of Australia's gruelling six-match tour.
Just how gruelling it has been was highlighted again yesterday when second-rower Nathan Sharpe left for Australia four days ahead of schedule in order to undergo surgery on a broken thumb.
He is the fourth player sent home early, while captain Stirling Mortlock, who is still feeling a little groggy after knocking heads with Welsh centre Jamie Roberts in a sickening collision in the Cardiff Test and then landing on his head as he collapsed to the ground, took no part in training.
In his absence today, George Smith will captain the side, an appointment that has just a touch of good omen about it because he was the man who led the Wallabies to their stunning victory over the All Blacks in Sydney in July when Mortlock was out injured.
Playmaker Matt Giteau was also ruled out of the Barbarians match after sustaining shoulder and ankle injuries against Wales, while the entire first-choice front row of Al Baxter, Stephen Moore and Benn Robinson has been rested, along with winger Peter Hynes, who has missed only one of 14 Tests this season.
Mercifully, the world's best tighthead, former All Black Carl Hayman, has been forced to withdraw from the Barbarians side because of injury but coach Jake White still has an awesome array of talent at his disposal, more than sufficient to ask some serious questions of the Wallabies' new front row of Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau and Matt Dunning.
Indeed, so powerful is the Barbarians squad that the newly crowned IRB player of the year, Welsh winger Shane Williams, finds himself on the bench.
There has been a lot of talk of the Wallabies playing a Test against one of their Tri-Nations rivals in London in the near-future and this match will go a long way to determining what level of support there might be for it, with the Baa-Baas today very much being Springboks in sheep's clothing.
South Africa provides nine players and the spine of the team, with World Cup-winning captain John Smit starting at hooker, Bakkies Botha and Johan Muller forming the second row, Fourie du Preez and Francois Steyn the halves and Percy Montgomery bringing up the rear at fullback.
Throw in the world's fastest player Bryan Habana on the wing, the world's best intercept specialist Jean de Villiers at inside centre and the rampaging Schalk Burger at blindside flanker and this is the most environmentally friendly Barbarians side ever assembled, with a heavy tinge of green throughout.
Australia's most capped player, Japan-based George Gregan, will come off the bench for the composite side to lock horns with gritty Waratahs halfback Brett Sheehan, who will be playing his first game of the tour. The match will also provide Hayman's replacement, former Reds Test prop Rodney Blake, with the chance to show what a season of scrummaging in France has done for his game.
Both sides have honoured the Barbarians' tradition of blooding an uncapped player, with carrot-topped Brumbies lock Peter Kimlin making his first appearance in the gold jersey and young Western Province loose forward Nick Koster taking the huge leap from Currie Cup to international rugby as a reserve for the virtual world XV.
For all the marquee names this match has assembled, Richie McCaw among them, it could well be young O'Connor who steals the show. A recent product of Nudgee College, he is one of four products of the school to have played for Australia this season, along with Rocky Elsom, Hugh McMeniman and Richard Brown. He made his Test debut at Padua where he came on late in the Italy Test when the Wallabies were intent on shutting down the game.
Today he will be very much involved in opening the game up, sparking the Wallabies' counter-attacks from the fullback position.
"It'll be a big challenge, a big test but I feel I'm up for it," O'Connor said yesterday.
"I've been given an awesome opportunity and I can't wait to get out there and have a go."
A Giteau-sized player with Giteau-sized self-belief, he is hoping to get the chance to mesmerise a few of the Barbarians' superstars with his footwork.
"That's the plan but we'll see how it goes," he said.
Deans is also keen to see how it goes although he has so much faith in the youngster he is even prepared to load him up further with the goalkicking responsibilities, depending on the outcome of a pre-match "kick-off" against Quade Cooper.
"He (O'Connor) is a huge individual talent and I guess the purpose of getting him under way is to add to that the team skills, the ability to work with and off others," Deans said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015655,00.html
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