James O’Connor is back in the Australia fold almost three years after his last Wallabies appearance, with Joe Schmidt picking the veteran fly-half in his 36-man squad to face the British and Irish Lions.
After an injury to Noah Lolesio, his first-choice 10, Schmidt was light on experience at fly-half and has gone for O’Connor, who has just won Super Rugby with the Crusaders and has been picked ahead of veterans Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale.
Ben Donaldson and the callow Tom Lynagh are the other 10s in the squad that will face the Lions in the first Test in Brisbane on 19 July.
O’Connor, 35, is now in contention to make some history. He started all three Tests against the Lions in 2013 and is in line to become only the third Australian to take on the tourists in two campaigns in a row.
The flanker George Smith did it in 2001 and 2013 and current prop James Slipper will also do it, barring injury, in the coming weeks.
Will Skelton, the man-mountain lock, and Rob Valetini, the powerful back row, both make it despite being troubled by injury. They’re both still fighting to be fit for the opening Test in Queensland.
The gargantuan prop, Taniela Tupou, has been included despite sounding almost resigned to not being involved after numerous injuries have impacted on his influence.
He’s heading for Paris next season but Schmidt is keeping Tupou involved with the Wallabies for now, presumably in the hope that the immense player of a few years back can find himself again.
“We are excited by what’s to come,” said Schmidt. “The Lions are going to bring whatever they’ve got and whatever they’ve got is power, strength in depth and an ability to play at a pace that just unpicks teams.”
