In news just in, Wallaby winger James O’Connor has been stood down indefinitely following an ARU investigation into an alleged incident at Perth airport last weekend.
Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie fronted a hastily convened press conference late this afternoon at ARU headquarters and confirmed that O’Connor has been stood down due to the latest off field incident and that there had been no time frame placed on his selection availability.
McKenzie said ‘looking at the incidents over time we’re not getting the right type of behaviour from him’. McKenzie added ‘that since meeting with him before the season there had been improvements but had let himself down on the weekend’.
The investigation into what occurred in Perth was still ongoing and had been delayed with privacy laws to consider but from a behavioural aspect, McKenzie had enough reason to stand O’Connor down.
When asked if anything specific was the reason behind the decision, McKenzie said ‘it was the way he conducted himself in public’.
McKenzie was obvious in his disappointment that the talk this week had been about another off field incident instead of focusing on the win over Argentina on the weekend.
This latest incident had prompted the Western Force, who are in discussions with O’Connor, to get on the front foot by issuing a statement on twitter in recent days that said ‘The club is aware of recent reporting regarding James O’Connor and is awaiting the outcome of an investigation being conducted by the ARU’.
With O’Connor now out of the touring squad, Waratahs winger Peter Betham joins the squad for the tour to South Africa and Argentina leaving McKenzie with very inexperienced stocks in the backline due to injuries to Nick Cummins and Jesse Mogg.
