| Full name | Desmond Michael Connor | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 9 August 1935 | ||
| Place of birth | Ashgrove, QLD | ||
| Height | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Weight | 78 kg (170 lb) | ||
| School | Marist Brothers College | ||
| Occupation(s) | School Teacher | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Scrum-half | ||
| Amateur clubs | |||
| Years | Club / team | ||
| Brothers Old Boys | |||
| Provincial/State sides | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 1954–59 | Queensland | ||
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 1958–1959 1961–1964 |
Australia New Zealand |
12 15 |
(0) (3) |
Desmond Michael Connor (born 9 August 1935 in Ashgrove, QLD) is an Australian former rugby union halfback who represented internationally for both the Australian and New Zealand national rugby union teams. He is an inductee in the Australian Rugby Union Hall of Fame.
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After taking up the game at the Marist Brothers Ashgrove, Connor honed his skills further with the Brothers club. He made his representative debut for Queensland in 1954 and made further appearances for the state over the next five years.
He was selected in Australian national squad for the Wallabies 1957–58 Australia rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland and France. Connor made his Australian test debut on 4 January 1958 against Wales and played in all five internationals on the Australian tour. Later that year he captained the Wallabies in Tests against the New Zealand Māori rugby union team, and then played against the All Blacks on a tour of New Zealand.[1]
At the start of the 1960s he left Australia to continue his teaching career in New Zealand.[1]
In New Zealand he started playing at the Marist club, won selection for Auckland and in 1961 made his All Blacks debut against France having fulfilled the short-term residency requirement in force at the time. Connor toured Australia with the All Blacks the following year and eventually went on to win 12 caps for his adopted country, tasting defeat just once.
He was to return to Australia as a coach[2] and led the Wallabies out in their home series against New Zealand in 1968, where he unveiled to the world the tactic of playing with a shortened line-out – a ploy still employed today. He also oversaw tours to South Africa in 1969 and 1971 before eventually stepping down.[3]
It was Connor’s representation to the ARU after the 1969 tour that earned a Wallabies coach the right to also serve as a selector. He was also instrumental in organising Barbarians teams to forge closer links between schools and club rugby in Queensland.
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