'Wanted to throw a bit of niggle': Silence golden for James O'Connor as losing Reds too 'stuffed' to talk

The lack of chit-chat was telling when James O'Connor strolled out onto the Christchurch turf on Sunday afternoon.

The scoreboard read Crusaders 36, Reds 19 after 62 minutes and O'Connor's job was to be game manager, rather than game breaker, for his adopted team.

O'Connor, the Wallabies great with Kiwi parents who joined the Crusaders from Queensland in the off-season, had been hopeful of a bit more banter.

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"Not too much," he reported after the Crusaders completed a 43-19 victory to leapfrog the Reds into fourth place on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder.

"I think everyone was just stuffed, hey. It's a quick game, sun's up and everyone, a lot of metres covered, so I came on pretty fresh.

"Wanted to throw a bit of niggle, but the boys were yeah... nothing, nothing doing."

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The Reds had snapped a 25 year drought in Christchurch last year and the Crusaders weren't about to let lightning strike twice.

"Honestly, I didn't do too much, hit probably more breakdowns than I have in a whole year," O'Connor said.

"But we got the win and I'm pretty stoked about it."

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O'Connor and the Reds had enjoyed a lighthearted buildup to the match, with the veteran warning his former teammates that he was going to be calling out their backline moves.

Reds flanker Liam Wright countered by claiming O'Connor had snubbed their overtures for a coffee catchup in Christchurch.

"I invited the other boys over but, no, that's a good stitch up," O'Connor said.

"He got me with that because we went back and forth a few times, but he got busy, it wasn't me."

On a more serious note O'Connor, born on the Gold Coast, expressed his sympathy for those affected by Cyclone Alfred.

"They're just batting down the hatches, but I'm hearing positive things coming out of it," he said.

"Seeing some crazy videos as well. Boys in the surf but look, man, my heart's feeling for everyone at home. So hopefully there's not much damage done, especially at the Goldie there as well."

Reds coach Les Kiss also had a quip for his former charge.

"I'm just glad he didn't score a try. But look, I've spoken to the coaches here and they've been really happy with how he's gone and we wish him well," Kiss said.