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'I'm not a boy anymore' - James O'Connor is back
By Online Editors
It was baby steps in James O'Connor's Brisbane Test return but the man himself was quick to point out he's not a boy anymore following six years in the Wallabies wilderness.
O'Connor was warmly welcomed back to Suncorp Stadium for the final 12 minutes of the side's 16-10 defeat of Argentina but he barely got a touch.
That didn't worry the 29-year-old, who was happy to lap up the experience on the ground he will call home with the Queensland Reds next season.
"I've put it out there, how much I've actually missed being there," he told Fox Sports afterwards.
"It's such an opportunity to play for your country; there's definitely something building here nicely (ahead of September's World Cup) and I don't want us to get too ahead of ourselves, but it's great to be back and involved."
O'Connor had his share of off-field dramas that looked to have ruined a budding Test career that began when he was just 18.
"I'm not a boy anymore," O'Connor reflect ed of his time away from international rugby.
"I spent six years in the wilderness and found myself and developed and learnt a lot about rugby and a lot off the field
"I guess I know what’s important to me now and this is it."
Michael Cheika said his brief cameo was the perfect re-introduction.
"He's had a big few weeks - he wasn't even in Australia until a couple of weeks ago," the coach told reporters after the match.
"He didn't get to do much, but I just wanted him to get out there and get the nerves out, because I can see him playing a big part down the track."
O'Connor replaced Tevita Kuridrani in the centres but Cheika likes his versatility, while his teammates have enjoyed what he's brought to the team dynamic.
"He's a mature lad and rubs off on a lot of the lads," long-time friend and Wallabies fullback Kurtley Beale told Fox Sports.
"When he's on he's on and has such a special rugby brain; it's great to have him back in the group and it's created really great competition with each other."
- AAP
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Im guessing you never lived in NZ under r dern and red commie labour
We were forced and in some cases mandated to take the V - I know of 7 people who D taking it and many with untold injuries - Minimium 12 K D in NZ taking it - it was never safe never effective never worked just Maimed and K'd qe were close to being thrown into quarantine camps C was only a rebranded Flu
Oz Govt MOH have completed their c commission - they admit they never had the proveable data to make justify their statements and decisions & that the public will never accept it ever happening again - they fired rubber B into peaceful protestors Ardern is hated here ( 1 M patriots forced her out ) - bloomfield her side kick 2IC dr D excempted 11k from taking it - we (not u) know who they were the Pol and Public servants who knew they were fatal - A zeneca pulled it off the market due 2 excess D's - Japan banned them - called them stupid poison -
P M Shinzo Abe opposed the v and sent over a million doses back - because of that he was murdered - So were the heads of several African nations who also opposed the fake v they were k'd and their replacements allowed their countries to be swamped with them - C was V wasnt bought in fo C - C was bought in for the V
Im not here to talk politics but if u want to I can all day especially to a RED neck commie like you - whats it going to be Rugby or Politics or mud slinging give me something to think about - surprise me with something meaty - just not word salad
Go to commentsIt doesn’t matter how good your rugby team is, at the highest level you are going to have momentum swings in games.
Wales having a good ten minute period next week- and they will- doesn’t mean the Boks will be playing poorly.
It’s if you can make the most of it when you have the momentum. And the current group of springboks do enough when they create enough, as great teams do.
For comparison, the All Blacks played their best game of the year against France.
Still lost. And it’s only France’s second game so they aren’t firing at 100% yet.
The ABs haven’t got to that ruthless stage that the springboks are at yet.
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