Veteran James O'Connor is taking on the playmaking duties for the Wallabies as they look for a win against South Africa despite an injury to Ben Donaldson, which complicates their plan.
You've just got to kind of bank what's happened in the past in that game one ... we've got to not necessarily start again, but we've got to build on what we've started and making sure that under pressure we deliver that in the 80 minutes on the weekend.
The eleventh-hour inclusion of James O'Connor in Australia's squad for the Test series against the British & Irish Lions comes after a successful Super Rugby season with the Crusaders, even though he last played for the Wallabies in 2022. Schmidt noted that O'Connor has stayed connected with the team, and despite not having played under him yet, he is confident in O'Connor's ability to catch up quickly before the series begins.
