Runaway success: James O’Connor scores a try for Toulon on the weekend.
The short-term future of James O’Connor and his return to Australia is assured, but doubts remain about his long-term plans after the World Cup in Britain next year.
Queensland are expecting O’Connor, who has 44 Test caps with the Wallabies, to remain in Brisbane after announcing last Friday that the back had signed a two-year deal with them – starting next season.
SMH
However, in France, the Toulon club he plays for in the Top 14 has said it expects him to rejoin them after the Cup.
French reports say O’Connor’s return to Australia will be for only six months as part of a clause in a signed three-year contract with the Toulon club.
This clause, the reports say, will enable O’Connor to play for the Reds in Super Rugby next season, which is required if he is to earn selection into the Wallabies squad for the World Cup that runs from September 18 to October 31.
A similar grey area arose last week when French sports daily L’Equipe reported that O’Connor sought a guarantee from Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie that he would be picked if he returned – a claim McKenzie denied on Sunday.
Reds chief executive Jim Carmichael declined to comment on Tuesday when asked about Toulon’s reported expectations, and the specifics of O’Connor’s two-year contract with Queensland.
Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal has been quoted in French reports saying the club expects O’Connor back after the Cup for two more years.
“We always said James O’Connor had signed for three years at Toulon with a possible six months absence during the season to be able to play in the World Cup … so we respect what has been signed … He is committed for two years after the Cup,” Boudjellal was quoted last Friday by Midi Olympique website www.rugbyrama.fr as having told Radio Monte Carlo.
And in Friday’s edition newspaper Var Matin, Boudjellal was quoted as saying about O’Connor’s contract with Toulon: “There is no clause or provision for him to stay in Australia. If he leaves, he comes back. That’s certain …”
The same paper reported on Monday that while O’Connor declined interview requests at training on Monday morning, he “confirmed” with his fingers that he would be away for six months.
Under the title: “Six months or two years? O’Connor evokes his departure from RCT … in sign language”, the Var Matin report conceded there was confusion over the issue.
The article also said, after O’Connor’s big game on Saturday that included a first-half try in Toulon’s 17-10 loss to Racing Metro: “one has more desire to believe in him”.
Toulon coach Bernard Laporte had only praise for O’Connor, who played at fullback, saying: “If we had 15 O’Connors in the team, we would have been able to win it.”
But for Toulon – or the Reds – it seems having one O’Connor after the World Cup will do.
Nortried
More is less,
The number of new threads posted daily certainly renders the follow ups too much of a hassle,
Suggest we concentrate on the coming test this Sat from the Boks perspective
@ Hondo:
There is plenty of other rugby and not just the test.
There are hardly any news from the Bok camp, the team is only announced tomorrow.
CC is still on, Aviva and Pro 12 is starting, ITM and NRC is continuing, so it won’t be a rugby site if there is only one article a day about the test.
Hondo wrote:
That’s what we all say, but you keep on posting.
MacroBok wrote:
Ok, will stop
Now look what you’ve done hondkak you cretinous oaf.
😆
What time is party time?
And Hondo, I can’t see you being the life and soul. 🙄
4 @ nortierd:
I was talking to Hondo Nortie, 😆
Please continue
@ nortierd:
They always say “a paved road leads to development”… keep paving buddy
@ MacroBok:
@ nortierd:
I don’t rely on these spins called ‘news from the Boks Camp’ as something credible, worth starting a debate here
You can speculate within your vast knowledge and understanding of the situation by posing difficult questions, pointing out at possible selections flaws, etc.
such as: 3 LHs selected for one spot, 3 hookers for one spot, 3 FHs for one spot, 3 Scrummies for one spot and two useless centres and one softie for 2 centre spots?
And no TH replacement unless you consider that sub standard TH from the Bulls as a test rated prop?
And why not?
😉
Address AGAIN that see no reason from HM,
@ Hondo:
Well if there is no credible source, what are you hanging around for?
@ MacroBok:
use your fingers to count how many threads last week attracted 0-2 responses?
😉
@ Hondo:
Does that equate to no interest?
Some of those sites also have little response, and usually it is not worthwhile anyway like
news24, supersport, sarugby…
There is a reason why we prefer coming here, if there is 0-2 responses we would all likely still read them and take note of those 0-2 people.
@ Hondo:
Nancy
@ MacroBok:
10
See my reply at 9,
the facts are already well known, such as Matfield’s age, his work rate and his contribution at the tight phases, we don’t need to hear the Pr’s educated opinions called a ‘source’
😆
Hondkak can’t be relied upon as credible.
He doesn’t even know the difference between Dooley and Ackford.
Domfok.
😆
@ Hondo:
lol what facts? if we give you facts and stats it is all some conspiracy by SARU
@ MacroBok:
The interest here is focused roughly 90% plus on SA rugby
You can make the variation – and it was done reasonably well at Keo – by posting intrigue threads such as:
are JdV and De Allende adequate enough to match C. Smith and Nonu? 🙁
A fairly reasonable debate that might easily attract 70-100 responses
Or
Is Pollard going to make the Test 23? 😉
etc
@ Hondo:
Fairly regurgitated topics, discussed in depth already… next?
@ MacroBok:
That’s why I am at a 85% winning on the Ladbrokes racket! 😉
I don’t read the ‘facts’ on the Beeld or the SA Rugby, never did 😆
Cheers!
@ Hondo:
Well done!
MacroBok wrote:
😆
@ Hondo:
What debate will it be if you already know 85% of the “facts”?
Hondo wrote:
Here’s a finger for you…
…………………./´¯/)………..
………………..,/¯../……………
………………./…./…………….
………/“/´¯/’—‘/´¯¯`•¸………
……../’/…/…./……./¨¯\……….
…….(‘(…´…´…. ¯~/’…’)…….(‘
……..\……………..’…../…….. ‘
………..\…………..(…………..
………….\………….\………….
😀 😀 😀 😀
19 @ Hondo:
Do not even try to equate the Number of Comments on a thread to the amount of readers here on Rugby-Talk.com or on a specific thread.
To give you a fair indication of how wrong you are, simply compare the 63 211 Unique Visitors (readers & bloggers) for the month of July 2014 on Rugby-Talk.com with the amount of individual Registered active Bloggers in the same month and even you will realize that the Commenting part or portion of this website is a tiny, tiny tip of the ice berg in relation to the overall readership of the site.
Let me add that you have no idea of the Demographic coverage of our broader readership here on Rugby-Talk.com…. right accross the globe!
We will cover the rugby world’s rugby news and happenings here on Rugby-Talk.com, and you will just have to fall in with it. It is not a debate or a negotiation, simple as that.
Nortie’s doing a fine job, and we’ve had discussions about what should and what should not be written on and for Rugby-Talk.com.
I’ve run this website successfully for more than 5 years now, with the site ever increasing it’s readership, every step of the way, so I do not need you to try and tell us what should or should’nt be placed on this website.
You have no, zero, buggerall insight into how this site really functions or what makes it tick, just like we have no clue how your brain functions, if at all.
I hope it clears things up for you.
@ grootblousmile:
@ MacroBok:
I read heaps of articles from this site, as far as im concerned this stuff is absolute gold. I live in NSW and getting all this information about SA rugby is brilliant, so thanks
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