Quade Cooper admits to ‘weird’ feeling over James O’Connor’s Crusaders debut while ex-Wallabies star gives verdict on Joe Schmidt’s possible successor
Quade Cooper speaking with James O'Connor, and Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt.
Former Wallabies fly-half Quade Cooper conceded that it was strange seeing James O’Connor in a Crusaders jersey but stated that he “couldn’t be happier for him.”
The 34-year-old was a surprise signing for the New Zealand giants ahead of the 2025 campaign, but he proved his worth on debut.
O’Connor came onto the field just shy of the hour-mark with the Christchurch outfit 22-21 in arrears against the Hurricanes, but he helped Rob Penney’s men turn things around in the final quarter.
It prompted Cooper to take to X, formerly Twitter, to comment on his former team-mate after the landmark moment.
“How did you feel seeing James O’Connor in a Crusaders jersey? Certainly was weird for me but couldn’t be happier for him,” he wrote.
Good Crusaders debut for O’Connor
The Crusaders touched down twice while the former Wallaby was on the field as they claimed a superb 33-25 victory in Round One.
They endured a dreadful first year under head coach Penney, who took over from Scott Robertson, but this result suggests that the Crusaders can enjoy a much more profitable season in 2025.
As could the Waratahs, who Cooper was also intrigued by as they opened their campaign with a match against the Highlanders.
They are now under the guidance of Dan McKellar but it may not be for long with the head coach being linked with the Wallabies role.
Joe Schmidt is set to depart after the Rugby Championship, with McKellar one of the names in the frame, and the former Test playmaker was impressed by what he saw from the Sydney outfit in their Super Rugby opener.
“Good coaching isn’t just about game tactics it’s the foundation for daily growth. You can see that with Dan McKellar at the Tahs. It hasn’t been a perfect first half, but the improvement from last year is clear,” Cooper wrote at half-time of their 37-36 victory.
“They’re well-drilled, more disciplined, and I’m enjoying what I see.”
McKellar backed
Rugby Australia have plenty of options to choose from but McKellar has been backed by some observers, including Wallabies legend Tim Horan.
“There are probably three or four internal Aussie coaches they could look at. Dan McKellar for me is the frontrunner,” Horan told The Breakdown.
“He was obviously at the Brumbies for a period of time, went over and only had one season virtually at Leicester in the UK and came back to the Waratahs.
“The thing about Dan McKellar is he’s a wonderful set-piece coach but he also understands the different attacking structures.
“Also, the Waratahs are run by Rugby Australia. Dan McKellar signed a three-year contract with the Waratahs and he hasn’t started yet.
“This will be his first season and he might all of a sudden be told by Rugby Australia, ‘listen, we want you to coach the Wallabies’, or be a big part of the Wallabies set-up, and they will bring someone else in for the Waratahs.”
