DUBBO Kangaroos junior Billy-Jacob O’Connor will hope to put some injury issues behind him when he lines up for NSW Country under-16s later in the year.
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O’Connor, a hooker/number 8, was one of three players selected from the Roos to be part of the squad which faces City at Bathurst on August 5 before heading to the National Championships.
Fellow Roos juniors Kurtis Crisante and Rohan Kopp will also be part of the squad, which brings together the best players from regional areas.
After representing Country in the under-14s age division in 2010, O’Connor missed out in 2011 after dislocating his knee at selection trials and undergoing surgery.
A further dislocation and a medial ligament tear later and he finds himself back in the squad after receiving a late call-up.
“I missed the initial selection because I got injured at the state championships but I got a late call-up which is good,” O’Connor, a student at Kinross Wolaroi School, said.
“All the injuries were disappointing after making the Country side a couple of years ago, so I am just happy to be back and I’ve done a lot of work to make sure the knee is as strong as I can get it.”
Crisante, also a Roos junior and student at Kinross, has made an interesting transition in 2012 shifting from the backline into the forward pack.
In fact he has gone from the wing to the front row and must arguably be the fastest prop in junior rugby.
“It’s a fair bit different when you get to this level,” Crisante said.
“I wouldn’t say the game is much harder but the boys that you play with and against probably put a lot more work into their rugby.
“They do a lot of gym work which means they are probably a bit stronger for longer but the standard isn’t a whole heap different.
“I’m looking forward to getting into the front row at this level and seeing what it is like. I reckon it will be a fair bit rougher than out on the wing.”
For Kopp, the upcoming matches will mark his debut at Country level.
The Peak Hill Central School student, who plays flanker, admitted he was looking forward to the representative program but added he was also keen to see what things he could bring back to his club rugby. “I’ve never played footy at this standard before and I think the good thing will be learning a few things to make myself a better player,” he said.
“I’ll get a few things from the training and playing that I can use when I play my club football as well.”
