TOKYO (AP) — James O'Connor smiles at breakfast, smiles at lunch, smiles at dinner. He smiles before Wallabies training and during video sessions. He even smiles through the dreaded news conference.
It's like he's a Wallaby for the first time. In some respects, he is.
When he subbed in for center Tevita Kuridrani against Argentina in Brisbane in July, O'Connor made his first appearance for Australia in five years, 10 months, 13 days. He started the next test against New Zealand, the one the Wallabies scored a record 47 points in. Two weeks later he was in Australia's Rugby World Cup squad. On Sunday, he's facing Wales in Tokyo.
"I didn't think I would play for Australia again," he says, not smiling for once. "I wanted to, but I didn't think that would be a reality."
O'Connor's first stint with Australia was as a meteor; the coming of the light, awesome brilliance, and fade out.
He made his Super Rugby and test debut in 2008, becoming the second youngest Wallaby.
The following year, he became the first Wallaby to score three tries in his first start in the starting XV.
There were even better starry nights. In 2010, he converted his own try deep in injury time in Hong Kong for the Wallabies to end a 10-match losing streak to New Zealand, and a 29-point haul against France in Paris made him, at 20, the second youngest player to 100 test points after Jonny Wilkinson.
The kid whose looks were compared with Justin Bieber was soaring. Then began missteps, put down to the vagaries of youth.
It emerged he was in a drunken fight with Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale before the test against France.
In 2011, he missed the Rugby World Cup squad announcement and photo. The Wallabies said he overslept. Domestic media reported he was seen at several bars the night before the announcement. His punishment was missing a test against New Zealand in Brisbane, and missing Australia clinching its first Tri-Nations title in a decade.
On good behavior at the World Cup in New Zealand, he was a star. His late penalty ended South Africa's title defense in the quarterfinals. The Wallabies finished third and O'Connor was the second-highest scorer overall. He, Cooper, and Digby Ioane were hailed as Australia's new vanguard. Only Cooper made it to the 2015 World Cup.
A lacerated liver and injuries ruled O'Connor out of the 2012 tests.
When the British and Irish Lions arrived in 2013, he was the flyhalf by default because Cooper was out of favor and Beale had off-field issues.
Despite the Lions being his first test in 19 months, and first start at flyhalf, O'Connor oozed confidence. The Queenslander with a New Zealand childhood had returned home to nurse his rugby talent, starting at flyhalf, and became so good that he could excel at center, wing and fullback. But the Lions were a step up too soon for O'Connor.