Mature O'Connor back in the Wallabies frame for Lions series

James O'Connor calmly slotted two late penalties to keep the Crusaders in the hunt for another Super Rugby Pacific title at the weekend, bringing himself right back into the reckoning for the British & Irish Lions series in the process.

The 34-year-old beat out a strong field to start at flyhalf for the Wallabies in the 2013 series, which Australia lost 2-1, but it looked like his test career was over at the end of 2022.

Joe Schmidt might be taking another look, however, given the way O'Connor has flourished as an experienced finisher for the 14-times Super Rugby champions this season.

The Crusaders pack will rightly get the credit for the two scrum penalties that gave them a 25-22 win over the Blues last Friday but O'Connor showed a supremely cool head to convert them in horrible conditions.

"I guess you just back his experience," Crusaders coach Rob Penney told reporters in Christchurch.

"And you go, 'you've been here before, big fella' and away it went."

O'Connor has been there before. In 2010, he scored a late try and slotted a sideline conversion to give the Wallabies a victory over the All Blacks in Hong Kong.

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then, however.

His test career hit the skids when he was sacked by Rugby Australia because of off-field indiscretions in the months after the 2013 Lions series, and he only returned home from a long spell in exile in Europe in 2019.

He resurrected his career with the Reds, earning 20 more caps to take his tally to 64 before Dave Rennie dumped him in late 2022 after a poor display against Argentina.

After the short-lived chaos of Eddie Jones' second reign as coach, 29-cap pivot Noah Lolesio has been Schmidt's number 10 of choice but his back-up options have fewer than 20 caps between them.

O'Connor's experience, proven ability as a test goalkicker and versatility would be clear positives for a Lions series, while the Queenslander believes he is a better playmaker than he was when he last pulled on the gold shirt.

"I do want to play for the Wallabies in that Lions series," O'Connor told a podcast in February.

"I am very aware the other guys have got a nod first, but I'm just putting that question out there. If I'm doing well enough, and if I'm doing a job, why can't I be in the question?

"I didn't know how to play the game until I was 30. Even three years ago, I didn't have the knowledge I have now about how to run the game."