O’connor redemption closer
Reds coach Brad Thorn believes James O’connor’s transformation from rugby bad boy to leadership material is nearing completion after he led them to a record victory over the Waratahs in the Super Rugby AU season-opener.
O’connor was the secondyoungest Wallaby in Australian rugby history at the age of 18, but struggled to hold down his place and twice left for European stints as a series of drug- and alcohol-related episodes followed him.
But O’connor’s record in recent years has been spotless and Thorn said his appointment to the captaincy shows the 30-year-old had regained the respect of his teammates on and off the field.
“James’s story, to captain his state, is really cool and I know it means a lot to him and I’m really proud of him,” Thorn told reporters after the Reds 41-7 win.
“I’m not sure if James remembers, but when he first came in we had that chat about the narrative around him.
“We all love a redemption story and he’s done that, and most importantly he’s done it through his actions.”
Replacing injured skipper Liam Wright, O’connor had a flawless night from the tee, kicking two penalties and five conversions, and played an integral role in the try that sealed victory at Suncorp Stadium.
Despite their strong start, O’connor believes the Reds still have room for improvement.
“It was a good start to the year but wasn’t at clinical as we can be,” he said.
“It could have blown out and got a lot sloppier than it did ... but we did exactly what we said we would.”