Ruddock scored a late try with Irish teammate Ian Madigan also impressing with a 13-point haul.
But when pressed on Ruddock, who has struggled with injuries over recent seasons, O'Connor was delighted with the No.6.
"I remember watching Rhys a couple of years ago and thought he would have had a massive future in the game and injuries and all sorts of other things kept him out of the limelight a bit," O'Connor told the Irish Times.
"He's just been very, very consistent for us, he carries the ball, he's a great lineout option and he has a massive work rate. His impacts on the game are becoming greater and greater."
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