Rugby: O'Connor must start for Wallabies - Horan

James O'Connor. Photo / Getty Images

Australia coach Robbie Deans should play 20-year-old utility back James O'Connor outside Quade Cooper and demote stalwart Matt Giteau to the bench, according to former Wallaby centre Tim Horan.

"James O'Connor has to be in the 15 and then where do you put him?" Horan said in comments published by the Australian newspaper yesterday. "He has got to be close to the action. On the wing, he is too far away."

After starting his career at fullback, the 27-test back has been largely employed on the wing but has also appeared at home in the midfield for the Western Force. He signed a two-year deal to play for the Melbourne Rebels last month.

While Deans has locked the Queensland Reds' dangerous duo of Will Genia and Cooper in the halves positions, second five remains a problematic proposition for the Wallabies.

Former first five incumbent Giteau has played there with mixed results, while strong candidate Berrick Barnes is taking an indefinite break from the game after suffering concussion-like symptoms throughout the Super season.

Horan, an 80-test Wallaby and one of the most highly regarded second fives to have played the game, said Giteau should be in Australia's best 22 for the World Cup starting in September but Deans should use him off the bench.

"I'd be happy to have Giteau on the bench to cover nine, 10 and 12," said Horan, a member of Australia's 1991 and 1999 World Cup-winning teams.

"Giteau's experience has got to be there somewhere. I don't know where they are going to find a spot for him. It will be interesting to see what they do."

Meanwhile, try-scoring Cheetahs halfback Sarel Pretorius shapes as a major asset for the Waratahs in next year's Super Rugby squad.

Pretorius, replacing former Wallaby halfback Luke Burgess after his signing with Toulouse, will be the Waratahs' senior foreign player for the next two years. Pretorius has just completed his best season of professional rugby as the top try-scorer in the 2011 Super Rugby competition, equalling Bjorn Basson (Bulls) on nine.

His try-scoring feats, showing speed and elusiveness, were a feature of the Cheetahs season. He will join the Waratahs following his Currie Cup campaign for Griquas.

"This is an exciting opportunity which was just too good to refuse," said Pretorius. "The Waratahs have a culture of high performance and I'm looking forward to being a part of that.

"I had my best Super Rugby season so far this year but I'd like to think that I am still improving and I'm looking forward to developing my game further in Sydney. It's going to be extremely exciting to be playing alongside players such as Berrick Barnes, Drew Mitchell and Adam Ashley-Cooper, as well as all the other Wallabies in the squad.

A strong season in 2008 earned Pretorius a call-up to the Emerging Springboks and he was drafted into the Super 14 squad of the Cheetahs, making his debut against the Western Force in 2009. He went on to play nine matches in his first season and earned selection in the Royal XV which played the British & Irish Lions.

Pretorius has played every match for the Cheetahs over the past two seasons and throughout his provincial and Super Rugby career has an impressive strike rate of one try every 2.4 matches.