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'Finally found their 6 since Jerome Kaino' - The performance by Akira Ioane that should settle who the All Blacks blindside flanker is
The All Blacks bounced back to a 38-0 win over the Pumas in Newcastle, exacting revenge for their loss two weeks ago at Bankwest Stadium in Sydney.
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After a slow start and some misfires, the All Blacks raced away in the second half on the back of two tries in two minutes to substitute Will Jordan, one of a handful of relative newcomers who impressed on the night.
Aside from Jordan’s cameo, blindside flanker Akira Ioane put in a magnificent performance in what was his second start after his shortened debut in Brisbane against the Wallabies three weeks ago. Ioane was replaced by Shannon Frizell for the first test against the Pumas who was outplayed by Marcos Kremer and his opposite Pablo Matera in the loss.
This fan wrote ‘Last test match, Shannon Frizell can’t handle Pablo Matera, this time around I think Akira Ioane can handle Pablo Matera.’
https://twitter.com/luqmanabdsalim/status/1331840906538876928
Ioane carried strongly, punching through Pumas defenders to clock up the most metres of any All Blacks forward on the night while completing nine of 10 tackles and winning two turnovers.
The Blues loose forward came up with two critical steals in the tackle, ripping away possession in contact from the Pumas as they were pressing into All Blacks territory.
His performance didn’t go without notice online, with fans calling his emergence as a ‘positive for the Foster regime’ after they have ‘finally found their number 6 since Jerome Kaino’.
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A positive from the Foster regime so far is the emergence of Akira Ioane from relative obscurity #ARGvNZL
— Max Power (@jrodbourn) November 28, 2020
#ARGvNZL Akira Ioane putting in a strong shift at 6. Carrying out core role well & coming up with some positive defense
— Just call me Rosco (@roscobigfulla) November 28, 2020
Excellent shift from Akira Ioane tonight – tough, combative, industrious & disciplined ?? #NZLvARG
— Nigel Yalden ????? (@NigelYalden) November 28, 2020
It seems that the @AllBlacks have finally found their number 6 since Jerome Kaino. #AkiraIoane#ARGvNZL
— Isis Novnak (@IsisNovnak) November 28, 2020
Sam Cane is being manhandled whilst Akira Ioane is showing his physicality and having a great game.
Maybe he’s the big 6 the All Blacks have been looking for.#ARGvNZL #TriNations2020
— Mana Rugby (@mana_rugby) November 28, 2020
Akira Ioane was immense tonight. What a comeback after a few years in the wilderness. He’s much fitter, improved work rate and playing a little tighter. #NZLvARG
— Lani Refiti (@LaniRefiti) November 28, 2020
Akira Ioane is the whole truth and nothin but the truth #NZLvARG
— ?? Uce Willis ?? (@mexxdidit) November 28, 2020
Akira Ioane playing really well again. Mo’Unga looking sharp too #ARGvNZL
— Ben (@BencerasaIe) November 28, 2020
Akira Ioane so far having his best game for NZ of his career #NZLvARG
— 3ku1 (@3ku1111) November 28, 2020
Akira Ioane has had some game today. #ARGvNZL
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) November 28, 2020
Top work @AllBlacks
Our No 6, Akira Ioane, epitomised our game
Simple things done well
Dominated the Lineout
Monster in the tackleQuality performance
Akira could now own that jersey with performances like his last 2 matches@BluesRugbyTeam
— Andy Doherty (@Aranui_Boy) November 28, 2020
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Ioane best blindside performance for the AB’s this season, Cane is a grafter and never far from the ball or action. Scrummaging masterclass. Must be said Argentina handling was poor but that can partly be attributed to AB defence #goodsolidwin #AllBlacks
— Graeme Peacock (@graemepeacock05) November 28, 2020
Personally thought both Akira Ioane and Nepo Laulala made the world of difference tonight.
Ioane put in a excellent grafting performance at blindside, while Laulala not only dominated the scrum, but was very active around the park.#TriNations2020— Dylan Jack (@dylmjack) November 28, 2020
After the win, All Blacks head coach Ian Foster singled out Ioane for his efforts saying it showed that he ‘wants to be here’.
“Akira should be really proud of his game,” he said.
“It was his second start, but his first full game (he played 65 minutes). I thought he showed he really wants to be here.
Foster said it had been a difficult year for everyone after a tough succession of test matches but thought that his side is developing.
“A fortnight ago we’d just played our fifth test in six weeks and it was tough. You saw Argentina play their third test in three weeks and it’s tough. There’s been a lot of challenges for all the teams.
“For us there will still be a few niggly hurt moments, particularly the loss to Argentina, but at least we had a chance to fix it; to show that we can play, that this group is developing. We’ve got a bit more to go, we’re clear about that, but it’s a better way to finish.”
Comments on RugbyPass
So if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
65 Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
1 Go to commentsOur very own monster teddy bear Ox😍💪
16 Go to commentsThis is might be the most generalised, entitled, patronising, out-of-pocket cultural indictment on a group of people you’ll ever see on what is supposedly a sports publication. I can only assume the author is weak like a woman or homosexual. I’m feeling an incredible range of emotions but I am not quite sure how to express them. I might go beat up a hockey player - assuming that’s okay with Duane and the boys? 🙂
9 Go to commentsBest thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
9 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
24 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
65 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
24 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
65 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
6 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
9 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
221 Go to comments