James O’Connor is younger than you might think. He’s younger than his coaches thought.
“He’s a class act, isn’t he? 36-year-old James O’Connor,” said Crusaders coach Rob Penney after the first pre-season clash of 2025.
“He’s got what - 19 years
James O’Connor, from Wallaby bad boy to Crusaders mentor
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James O'Connor of the Crusaders during the Super Rugby pre-season rugby match against the Blues at the Kirwee Rugby Club. Photo / Photosport
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The point is O’Connor has already been around top-level rugby for so long, you can be forgiven for thinking he’s closer to 40 than 30.
Marshall had one age correct – O’Connor started his first-class career at just 17, coming off the bench for the John Mitchell-coached Western Force in 2008. A week later he had his first start – against a Chiefs side that included Mils Muliaina and Sitiveni Sivivatu.
He made his Wallabies debut in 2008, too. That was against a Barbarians side that featured Chris Jack – Crusaders legend and uncle to Liam, who played alongside O’Connor at Kirwee last month. Across his 128 Super Rugby appearances, he’s opposed three of the current Crusaders coaching staff.
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Suffice to say, he’s been around. And going by the form he’s shown so far in red and black; he could go around for a lot longer yet.
“He’s been the signing of the year,” says Marshall – Crusaders attack coach.
“The way he’s been so keen to help everyone else grow. He understands the game so well,” adds Marshall.
On of those players growing under O’Connor’s guidance is promising young first five Taha Kemara.
“Honestly, like he almost puts me before himself in some regards,” says Kemara in the build-up to the round two match with the Chiefs.
“He takes a lot of time out of his day to help me out,” says Kemara with genuine appreciation.
Head coach Rob Penney is another huge fan of the former Wallaby, heaping praise on how he has conducted himself since crossing the ditch.
“He’s just been an amazing contributor to our organisation since he’s arrived. He’s a very solid individual with great values and he’s contributing as much as he can,” said Penney.
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THE MENTOR
O’Connor as “The Mentor” is a role that rugby fans here may not be overly familiar with.
His career has been littered with errors – more off the field than on it.
From reprimands to suspensions, substance abuse to an arrest in France. The 34-year-old has been there done that - and learned the lesson.
“I unfortunately had to go through quite a few [hardships] when I moved overseas and that sort of shaped who I am today,” says O’Connor.
“Going through those battles and picking myself back up, getting chopped down, picking myself back up.”
The 2025 version of James O’Connor is still electric with ball in hand – but the way he’s handling impressionable young minds is even more impressive.
“He’s like having another coach for me and I can just lean on him whenever I need, whenever times are tough - he’s gonna be there for me,” says Kemara.
“He knows what it’s like to be in my shoes in terms of my age and what’s going through my mind and when things frustrate me and that type of thing,” Kemara adds.
O’Connor and the 21-year-old Hamilton Boys’ High School product are in a tight battle for the number 10 jersey at the Crusaders, yet the youngster’s greatest rival might also be his biggest fan.
“I would say he’s probably the most naturally gifted 10 I’ve played with,” O’Connor said after the round one win over the Hurricanes.
It’s not only Kemara benefiting from O’Connor’s experience. Another promising 10 has been hanging off O’Connor’s every word – 18-year-old former Nelson College prodigy, Harry Inch.
“He’s got so much knowledge to give back to us young fellas. He’s been in that position himself, cracking it as a 17-year-old. So, yeah, just taking it all in!” says Inch.
“I’m an open book, so we’ve got into some very deep conversations about rugby and philosophy and life in general,” says O’Connor.
Kemara says the “open book” description is 100% accurate.
“For me to be able to just sit down with him to chew the fat over rugby, sometimes not even about strategy or anything. It could just be about anything in life, to be fair. He’s been unreal for me,” says Kemara.
THE PLAYER
O’Connor has found himself in the “closer” role for the opening rounds – with a loose plan to introduce him for the last quarter. His experience can be drawn on to finish a game and coupled with his ability to expose fatiguing defences, he’s a luxury most teams would like to have on the bench. He could just as easily start.
While his physical influence on the field has been limited to the minutes he’s played, his rugby intellect has helped reinvent a Crusaders attack that many rugby fans fell in love with on Valentine’s Day.
“James O’Connor’s an absolute mastermind,” says attack coach James Marshall.
O’Connor is one of the Marshall architects, along with David Havili and Will Jordan, among others. His combination with Jordan has already yielded results with a sleight of hand pass and line break that led to a Sevu Reece try. The two could terrorise weary defenders in 2025.
“Every team has an attack shape and a structure and a pod system and whatnot. Ours is quite unique that we brought in this year, so it’s different to anything I’ve played before.
That’s what’s stimulating me,” says O’Connor.
Marshall told the Herald he knew that O’Connor would bring a wealth of experience and a passion for coaching young 10s – but concedes he may have underestimated just how good O’Connor still is.
“I knew he could play, but the level that he can play is still world-class,” says Marshall.
THE FUTURE
Clearly O’Connor has plenty more to give at the highest level – and a strong campaign for the Crusaders would surely interest Wallabies selectors. O’Connor himself has spoken publicly about his desire to wear the gold and green again – and the excitement around the upcoming British and Irish Lions series.
But – and it’s a big but, the Wallabies aren’t the only international side that could call on his services.
O’Connor played his last test for Australia against Argentina on August 13, 2022. Under the IRB’s international eligibility laws, he can play for a qualifying nation from August 13, 2025. His parents are Kiwi and he has a New Zealand passport.
Wait – there’s more. He has South African grandparents who could qualify him for the Springboks.
At this stage, O’Connor is only a Crusader for 2025 – but if this season pans out, another year at Rugby Park isn’t out of the question, especially if there’s still unfinished business.
Whilst it seems as though O’Connor has done it all at this level – there’s one glaring achievement that has eluded him. He’s never been a part of a full Super Rugby title-winning side, though he won the Australian title with the Reds in 2021.
There is still room for firsts in a Super Rugby career that has spanned three decades. The round one win over the Hurricanes was the first time O’Connor has been on the winning side against the Wellington-based franchise.
O’Connor, though, isn’t looking too far ahead and says he’s found “peace” and perspective.
“I don’t really have too much of a plan. I’m enjoying my footy and it’s challenging me, it’s exciting me. As long as my body’s holding up and my mind wants to keep turning up and keep being told what to do at training - and I’m enjoying it, then why do you have to slow down?” says O’Connor.
Mike Thorpe is a senior multimedia journalist for the Herald, based in Christchurch. He has been a broadcast journalist across television and radio for 20 years and joined the Herald in August 2024.
