1
'He looks like a young Richie Mo'unga': The All Black who could have landed the Highlanders a 'top-two' finish in Super Rugby Aotearoa
Josh Ioane’s return to action following a niggling injury lay-off has impressed some of his peers so much that he has been labelled as “a young Richie Mo’unga”.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 24-year-old Highlanders playmaker was ruled out for the start of Super Rugby Aotearoa with a groin injury sustained a day before his side’s opening clash with the Chiefs on June 13 in Dunedin.
It wasn’t until the Highlanders’ round seven encounter with the Chiefs that Ioane made his first showing of the competition, coming off the bench in a 33-31 win in Hamilton.
While that victory kept their faint title hopes alive, a 32-21 defeat at the hands of the Blues the following week consigned the Highlanders to a fourth-placed finish in Super Rugby Aotearoa.
However, veteran Blues hooker James Parsons believes it could have been a different story had Ioane been available for the side for the entire campaign.
Speaking to the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, Parsons said he was impressed with Ioane’s showing against the Crusaders over the weekend, comparing him to Crusaders and All Blacks first-five Richie Mo’unga.
When asked whether Ioane’s halves partner Aaron Smith, who has been a standout for the Highlanders this season and bagged four trophies at the team’s awards night on Monday, could steer the Highlanders to a top-two finish if the season started all over again, Parsons disagreed.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said that, despite the fact that Smith is “playing the house down”, the Highlanders “haven’t been able to get across the line” in most games he’s been involved in throughout the competition.
Parsons was quick to assert that Ioane has been a point of difference since returning for Aaron Mauger’s squad, and that more games may have fallen in their favour if the one-test All Blacks pivot had been available.
“Man, he looks like a young Richie Mo’unga,” Parsons said of Ioane’s efforts in his side’s 32-22 defeat to the Crusaders on Sunday.
“I know that Richie Mo’unga’s not old, but the way he ran at the line, his ball-carrying, his ability is silky.
ADVERTISEMENT
“It’s through defence that I didn’t think there was space to get through and he’s passing offloads.
“Especially that one where he stepped back inside and did the offload and someone tried to fling it back and Nuggy [Smith] kicked it dead.
“I think if he came back and they’re playing like this, oh yeah, they’d be a huge threat.”
Crusaders halfback Bryn Hall, who played opposite Smith in Sunday’s match, agreed with Parsons, noting that selecting Ioane in his preferred position of first-five has paid dividends for the Highlanders.
Mauger had previously dabbled in picking Ioane at second-five and fullback earlier in the year, with new recruit Mitch Hunt often handed the No. 10 jersey instead.
A positional switch between the two playmakers has seen Ioane reinstated at No. 10 and Hunt at No. 15 in recent weeks, and Hall said the Highlanders would have reaped plenty of rewards had that dual playmaking axis been available to them all season.
“I think, just for Josh at 10 as well, especially when you’re getting lightning quick ball, like they were on the weekend, and being able to have him take it to the line and use his footwork – because he’s strong as well – he gets through those tackles and he’s got the little offloads as well, so he’s very Richie Mo’unga-esque,” Hall said.
“There were some things that I was watching yesterday [Sunday]. I think he did a step, he went through and stepped Jack [Goodhue]… I was just like ‘Man, I see that everyday at training with Richie’.
“To see it on the other foot, yeah it wasn’t very nice, but I think for him and the Highlanders moving forward, I think if he was playing at the start with Hunty at fullback, they’d definitely go guns blazing.”
Listen to the full episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod below
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments