James O’Connor given kicking duties for Wallabies in opening Tri Nations encounter – Rugby news
Former Western Force utility back and Wallabies star player, James O’Connor, will perform the kicking duties for the Wallabies in their 2011 Tri Nations tournament opener against the Springboks at ANZ Stadium, Sydney on Saturday, July 23.
O’Connor has announced his selection for the role while talking to media on Wednesday, July 20. He said, “As far as I'm aware I've got the kicking duties, so I'm looking forward to that.”
Providing the details, O’Connor added that in the Wallabies recent training sessions, a kicking competition was held between him, Reds’ Quade Coopers, and former Waratahs’ back Kurtley Beale. O’Connor added, “Quade and I had a kick-off the other day and
we actually drew, he got lucky with one of them.”
Earlier in the recently concluded 2011 Super Rugby competition, Reds’ fly half Quade Cooper finished the tournament as the tournament’s highest point scorer. O’Connor and Beale were in contention to become the highest point scorers, but in the last 5 to
7 matches, Cooper was simply unstoppable.
In 2011 Super Rugby, Cooper, O’Connor and Beale kicked 40, 47 and 30 penalties. Cooper has also scored three-drop goals while the others scored none. Cooper scored 210 points in the Super XV in comparison to O’Connor and Beale’s 170 and 166 points respectively.
Both O’Connor and Beale have signed new deals with Melbourne Rebels and they will be joining the Rebels in the start of the next season.
Wallabies head coach, Robbie Deans, had to earlier face defeat following their poor kicking in some crunch international games. However, this time around, things are different as he has at his disposable at two of Australia’s best kickers.
For Springboks, the goal kicking duties is expected to be performed by Bulls’ Morne Steyn. Cooper overcame Steyn’s 216 point lead in the play-offs of the 2011 Super Rugby championships. Had Steyn played all the matches like Cooper, Steyn might have been
the highest point scorer for the season.
Steyn’s tally of 216 points includes 46 penalties, four drop goals and 33 conversions. Springboks also have the services of the Sharks’ Patrick Lambie who finished this year’s Super Rugby tournament with 38 penalties.
Both teams have announced their match day 22, which include:
Wallabies Squad: Starting XV: Kurtley Beale; James O'Connor, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Pat McCabe, Digby Ioane; Quade Cooper, Will Genia; Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander, Rob Simmons, James Horwill, Rocky Elsom, David Pocock, Ben McCalman.
Replacements: Saia Fainga'a, Pek Cowan, Nathan Sharpe, Matt Hodgson, Scott Higginbotham, Nick Phipps, Anthony Fainga'a.
Springboks Squad: Starting XV: Gio Aplon; Bjorn Basson, Juan de Jongh, Wynand Olivier, Lwazi Mvovo; Morne Steyn, Ruan Pienaar; Dean Greyling, John Smit (captain), Werner Kruger, Flip van der Merwe, Johann Muller, Deon Stegmann, Danie Rossouw,
Ashley Johnson.
Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle, CJ van der Linde, Alistair Hargreaves, Jean Deysel, Charl McLeod, Adrian Jacobs, Patrick Lambie.
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