“He let himself down last weekend. There is a track record of similar types of
events. A significant change of behaviour is required.”
The Australian Rugby Union has had to deal with issues involving other Wallaby
players over the last 18 months, notably Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper, but
allowed O’Connor significant slack during the Lions tour, despite him being
photographed (along with Beale) at 3.30am in a fast-food outlet in Melbourne
three days before the second Test and later missing a team meeting. On
McKenzie’s watch, things have come quickly to a head.
“The reality is that representing your country is the ultimate honour and that
is a week-to-week proposition,” said McKenzie, all too aware that several of
O’Connor’s team-mates had had enough of his errant attitude.
“The way he behaved in front of other people wasn’t acceptable. James is a
good footballer. No-one disputes that. To be selected, though, a player must
do the right things consistently off as well as on the field. It is pretty
clear what it means to be a Wallaby. Look at our other players. They are not
putting us into the newspapers for the wrong reasons.”
As a point of contrast, Wallaby scrum-half Will Genia has said that he has no
issues with being dropped by McKenzie for last week’s Test and pledged to
fight his way back to the form that has seem him acclaimed as the best No 9
in the world.
“I accept the call [to drop me],” said Genia. “It hurt on Monday. It hurt on
Tuesday, Wednesday and the rest of last week. I got quite run-down from not
being able to sleep properly. I definitely can play better and I am not ever
going to put myself in this position again.”
Two stalwart All Blacks, captain Richie McCaw and scrum-half Piri Weepu, have
been recalled to the New Zealand squad for their trip to Argentina and South
Africa. McCaw was expected to miss the rest of the Rugby Championship with a
knee injury while Weepu had been left out of the initial squad.
Former England Sevens coach, Ben Ryan, has been appointed head of Sevens for
the Fijian rugby union and will take the squad through to the Olympic Games
in Rio in 2016.
Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/england/rugby/story/194311.html
James O"Connor suspended by Australia and will miss Rugby Championship ...
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