No place for no show O’Connor in Wallabies staring XV

James O’Connor was named on the bench for Australia’s World Cup opener against Italy after coach Robbie Deans stuck with a winning team and opted against recalling the winger following his one-game suspension for indiscipline.

Deans retained the starting line-up that beat New Zealand to win the Tri-Nations title in Brisbane last month but made three changes to the replacements with O’Connor, prop James Slipper and hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau coming in for Rob Horne, Saia Fainga’a and Salesi Ma’afu.

“They did OK and it is an important outing for us on Sunday, their continuity is good and it will need to be good as there is no doubt Italy will be waiting,” Deans said yesterday. “Their (Italy’s) last Six Nations outing was a very good performance, they put the French away. We know we have to hit the ground running.”

Goalkicker O’Connor was suspended for the Tri-Nations decider after he was a no-show for a team photo-shoot and function for the Wallabies World Cup squad announcement following what local media reported was a boozy night out.

“He wasn’t available to us in the last instance and he is on this occasion but he has been selected on the bench which is one step closer,” Deans said.

Deans appeared bothered when asked repeatedly about denying O’Connor, one of the Wallabies’ top attacking players, a starting spot for the first World Cup match.

“A lot of time is spent talking about people that aren’t available to you,” the New Zealander said. “But the game isn’t about that, the game is about who is available to you and those who are lucky enough to get the opportunity, and most players don’t waste the opportunities when they are presented to them. That’s the key, making the most of the time you get.”

Stand-off Quade Cooper, who scored with four out of six kicks against New Zealand in Brisbane, will retain the kicking duties against Italy.