A member of Ireland’s U20 Junior World Championship side, the lock made the move from Leinster to the Ulster Academy in 2012 making his senior bow in that same year against his former Province. Physically he has developed into a considerable presence in the set-piece and in the loose, and with ball-in-hand is a formidable force. Now a fully-fledged part of the professional squad, O’Connor has the potential and time to make a big impact for Ulster and at representative level.