'He's a man now': James O'Connor back in frame for unthinkable Test recall

James O'Connor is back in the frame for the unlikeliest of Wallabies comebacks, 12 years after he took on the British and Irish Lions as Australia's fresh faced boy wonder.

O'Connor has not played for the Wallabies since 2022 and the door appeared closed when he left the Reds this year to take up a contract with New Zealand heavyweights the Crusaders.

The Crusaders finished ninth of 12 teams last season but are top of the Super Rugby Pacific table after nine rounds in 2025.

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O'Connor's steady hand and boot has been important in the turnaround, with the 34-year-old mostly used as a closer off the bench behind young starting No.10 Taha Kemara.

"James O'Connor's gone from being asked whether he'd be interested in corporate hospitality gigs in the Lions series to high performance, high echelon people in Australian rugby considering (a recall)," Morgan Turinui said on Stan Sport's Between Two Posts.

"He's been excellent. I'm not talking starting XV, this is in camp with the Wallabies for a month preparing. To win a Lions series, it's a useful guy to have there, that knows the pitfalls of what happened 12 years ago.

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"He is mature, has grown up, he's a man now."

Incumbent Wallabies playmaker Noah Lolesio's decision to move to Japan next year has added intrigue to the debate over who will start against the Lions on July 19 in Brisbane.

O'Connor recently called Lolesio's impending departure "crazy" on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast - while running the rule over coach Joe Schmidt's other options.

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"The three guys that stand out for me are Tom Lynagh, Ben Donaldson and Lawson Creighton," O'Connor said.

"Tom has been playing in a good Reds outfit, he's been goalkicking really well, he's controlling the game really well.

"What he's doing is underplaying, so he's not trying to create too much, he's got the centres like Hunter (Paisami) and he's got a pack with Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson, who are ball players.

"He's underplaying his hand but when he gets his moments, he's making line breaks and you're seeing him come into his own.

"Ben Donaldson has got a big kick on him, he's probably the most creative. He takes the ball to the line, he's got great speed, good under the high ball.

"The one thing with him is he's playing with the Force and they're close to the top of the table this year, which is pretty awesome, but he hasn't had much time in those physical battles.

"A lot of the footy they've been playing has been more sideline to sideline, a bit more creative, whereas the Wallabies and Test footy is a lot more warfare.

"The guy I'm excited about most is Lawson Creighton, the Waratahs 10. I was at the Reds with him for a couple of years, he's just a really good game-manager and I think he would suit Test footy.

"The way he sees the game, he doesn't make mistakes, he communicates really well, decent kick, big body as well and can tackle.

"Noah leaving is definitely going to open the door up for someone like him, who's just a physical guy.

"The way he manages the game, that's his strength. Tom's got the kicking game, Donaldson's got the creativity and Lawson's got the game management, so let's see who gets it."

But Wallabies legend Matt Burke believed O'Connor himself should be considered.

"It's been a really good move for him over there," Burke told BTP.

"Crusaders, from where they were last year to where they are now, wow, chalk and cheese and the manner of the way in which they're playing is pretty special.

"He's been great - and he can cover spots as well. Massive utility value."