Tuesday 2 July 2019 14:21, UK
Will Genia has welcomed the prospect of James O'Connor returning to the Australia squad after a six-year exile.
The utility back was released by Sale Sharks on Tuesday to allow him to take up a contract with Rugby Australia with a view to potentially featuring at this year's World Cup.
O'Connor won the last of his 44 caps for Australia in 2013 but his international career was cut short after a string of off-field incidents.
If the research is done and he has matured, as the indications are, why wouldn't you bring back someone as good as he is?
"What people tend to do is typecast him as the arrogant kid who did this and that and judgement is clouded on who he might be now as a person," said Australia scrum-half Genia.
"While he was young he got away with a lot because of pure talent but at the point where he was judged disruptive to the team, it was decided he was not wanted.
"If the research is done and he has matured, as the indications are, why wouldn't you bring back someone as good as he is, whether it's into the Reds or the Wallabies set-up?"
O'Connor, 28, last featured in Australian rugby in 2015 when he returned to the Reds in a bid to be selected for the World Cup in England and Wales that year.
But after a season blighted by injury and poor form, he was overlooked for the Wallabies squad and headed back to Europe.
While at Toulon in 2017, O'Connor was arrested for cocaine possession during a night out in Paris with former All Black Ali Williams and the French side declined to extend his contract.
He has stayed out of trouble since joining Sale later that year and the sacking of full-back Israel Folau has left Australia head coach Michael Cheika with a vacancy in his Wallabies backline.
