O'Connor was sacked from the Wallabies in 2013 after a series of off-field incidents<\/a> and then arrested in Paris in 2017 for possession of cocaine.<\/p>\n "I wasn't playing well so I started chasing things off the field," O'Connor told Roz Kelly in an interview that will air in full on Nine and Stan Sport's pre-game coverage on Saturday.<\/p>\n The only place rugby fans can watch every match is Stan Sport. Start your free sport trial now!<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n "Lowest point was I couldn't get out of bed for weeks at a time. Couldn't face people, I used a lot of substances to get me to that place, to be able to face the world.<\/p>\n "Because I was living a lie."<\/p>\n Kelly conducted the interview at O'Connor's Brisbane home.<\/p>\n "He got emotional," Kelly said.<\/p>\n "It's been a journey for him, a rollercoaster but it's great to see him back at the top of his game."<\/p>\n READ MORE: <\/strong>Super Rugby on edge after NZ bubble pause<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> Why Thorn benched his captain for grand final<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> The forgotten Wallabies star left out in the cold<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Indeed O'Connor was voted by fans as the Super Rugby AU MVP this season after piloting Queensland to a home grand final.<\/p>\n With skipper Liam Wright injured for much of the year, O'Connor stepped up superbly as a leader.<\/p>\n So much so that Reds coach Brad Thorn has trusted him with the reins and dropped Wright to the bench for the highly anticipated rematch with the defending champion Brumbies.<\/p>\n The man who will be tossing him the ball on Saturday, Queensland halfback Tate McDermott, spoke glowingly of the five-eighth's influence on Stan Sport's Rugby Heaven<\/em> on Thursday.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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