James O’Connor found out that he had been named in the Wallabies squad for the Lions Series about an hour before everyone else did. While some players got the call on Thursday, O’Connor went to training on Friday believing any hope of a recall had genuinely passed.
After training with the women’s development sevens side at Ballymore Stadium in Brisbane, O’Connor focused on the next task on the to-do list, which was sorting out a UK visa before joining English Premiership giants Leicester Tigers.
It was then by coincidence that O’Connor ran into some other Wallabies, and also coach Joe Schmidt, who informed the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific champion of the good news. O’Connor hasn’t played for the Wallabies since 2022, but that could be about to change.
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While O’Connor is no guarantee to face the Lions, the fly-half is in the mix after being named in Schmidt’s 36-man squad. Noah Lolesio has been ruled out of the series, with Ben Donaldson and Tom Lynagh the other contenders to wear the No. 10 jersey.
In O’Connor’s own words, this is why the team announcement still “hasn’t sunk in yet.”
“I thought it had passed. I’ve had a few conversations with the boys who found out last night, so this morning I was doing some sevens training with Shannon [Fraser] and the development sevens team, the women’s team, this morning at Ballymore,” O’Connor told reporters in Brisbane.
“Did a little session with them and then I had to actually get my UK visa done so me and the wife went in and got my visa. I just saw a couple of the boys on the corner, literally about 100 metres up the road, so I drove the care up there and pulled around just to say good luck for the tour.
“Then two minutes later Joe [Schmidt] comes walking out and he’s like, ‘mate I tried to call you.’ I was like, ‘oh you can give me the bad news now then.’ He’s like, ‘no you’re in, you better get home and pack your bags, you’ve got an hour until the release.’
“I’m still a bit rattled as you can probably tell.
“Everyone was already at the hotel and everyone knew,” he added.
“The boys always say, if you get a call, no news is good news apparently.
“He said he’d given me a call, I literally hadn’t seen it because I’d been in the visa office.
“Then he shook my hand and told me and I was double checking.”
With the Lions touring Australia once every 12 years, it’s a rare opportunity for any player to get the chance to take on the best from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. But O’Connor will join an even more exclusive club if the playmaker takes the field during the series.
In 2013, O’Connor started at fly-half in all three Tests, with the Lions taking out that series 2-1. While a lot has happened between then and now, O’Connor could get another shot at the Lions – the same goes for James Slipper, who has also been named in this latest squad.
“I know how big of an occasion it is. It’s bigger than a World Cup,” O’Connor reflected.
“You get one shot at it usually so you want your aim to be true.
“It just genuinely hasn’t sunk in. I found out, what, an hour ago, an hour and a half ago. It’s just a whirlwind,” he added.
