Australia head coach Ewen McKenzie has decided to drop the mercurial O’Connor after repeated bad behaviour off the field. After an indifferent Super Rugby tournament, O’Connor was one of the rare performers for the Aussies in the first half of the Rugby Championship, but repeated breaking of team curfews due to alcoholism has meant the young star will not travel to South Africa or Argentina.
‘We won’t be forced into making any decisions around his return until I’m satisfied that he can once again contribute positively to what we are trying to achieve as a group,’ McKenzie said.
‘The reality is that representing your country is the ultimate honour but also a week-to-week proposition. To be selected, players must consistently do the right things on and off the field.
‘We’ll continue to assess James on that basis before any team decisions are made about a return.’
Reports say that the Australian Rugby Union is continuing its investigation into an alleged incident involving O’Connor at Perth International Airport in the early hours of Sunday, 15 September. O’Connor is alleged to have been drunk and abusive and had to be escorted out by security.
Once the investigation is completed, a decision on the next course of action regarding the player will be taken.
‘My views and expectations around team culture and behaviours, along with those of his teammates, are extremely clear and it’s important for the Wallabies and rugby in general to be spoken about positively for the right reasons,’ McKenzie went on to say.
‘James and I had a long conversation around those expectations before the tournament commenced. As a result, and separate to the outcomes of the current investigation, James will not be joining us in Sydney tomorrow. We must put the team first without any distractions hindering them during a really tough two-game tour.’
The dropping of O’Connor does not bode well for a team that has only managed to scrape one 1 point win in the tournament so so far. And with a quality Springbok side waiting for them in Cape Town, things aren’t going to get any easier.
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