Joe Schmidt makes ‘biggest selection call’ since Eddie Jones in bombshell Wallabies selection for Springboks showdown

In a bombshell move, Joe Schmidt has reportedly selected veteran Wallaby James O’Connor in the starting lineup for Australia’s Rugby Championship opener against the Springboks.

Schmidt is contending with somewhat of an injury crisis in the position after first-choice fly-half Noah Lolesio sustained a gutting setback in the pre-British and Irish Lions Test match against Fiji.

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Tom Lynagh, the son of Wallabies great Michael, was then entrusted with the number ten jersey for all three of the Tests against the Lions but sustained a concussion after a nasty clear-out by hooker Dan Sheehan.

The duo have both been ruled out of the Rugby Championship opener, creating a void that O’Connor will reportedly fill against the Springboks in Johannesburg on Saturday.

That is according to a report by The Roar, who described it as one of the biggest selection calls Schmidt has made since taking over from Eddie Jones.

If he is to feature against the Springboks, it will be O’Connor’s first appearance for Australia since he played in a then-record 48-17 defeat to Argentina in 2022, ending a 1099-day wait for his 65th cap for the Wallabies.

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The veteran back has enjoyed a resurgence this year after joining the Crusaders and made several crucial impacts off the bench for the New Zealand outfit, who went on to win yet another Super Rugby title. He is set to join Leicester Tigers ahead of the upcoming Prem Rugby season, filling Handre Pollard’s void at the club.

O’Connor is set to be one of the only changes to the team that faced the Lions in the third Test match of the series, according to the report, with powerhouse back-rower Rob Valetini unlikely to lace up the boots at Ellis Park as he continues to shake off his calf injury.

He looks set to partner Nic White in the halfbacks, with the latter delaying his retirement from international rugby following the setback to Jake Gordon, who started the first two Tests against the Lions.

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O’Connor gets the nod over Ben Donaldson, who has been selected on the bench in each of the Wallabies’ matches this year.

Meanwhile, Rassie Erasmus has already named his Springboks team for the Rugby Championship opener, doing so on Monday. Though, the head coach admitted that he may tweak his team if Schmidt opted to select a 6-2 bench split for the fixture, a set-up the Wallabies boss deployed in the second Test against the Lions.

“If you look at the split of their squad there is a lot of forwards in there. If they go 6-2 we might change on Thursday or Friday but if they go standard 5-3 this will pretty much be our team,” he said after naming his side.

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