'I knew there would be no room': Highlanders playmaker Josh Ioane opens up on All Blacks omission
Being a first five in New Zealand isn’t easy when you’ve got Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga competing for your position at All Blacks level.
Josh Ioane found that out the hard way over the weekend, as he was among an unlucky few to have missed out on winning selection in Ian Foster’s first-ever All Blacks squad.
Naming his first squad in his reign as head coach of the New Zealand national side, Foster opted to pick Barrett and Mo’unga as the sole first fives, with fullback Damian McKenzie also capable of covering there if need be.
It means that Ioane will have to bide his time if he is add to the sole test cap he earned against Tonga last year, despite impressing in the No. 10 jersey for the Highlanders in Super Rugby Aotearoa this season.
The 24-year-old continued that good form into the North v South clash on Saturday, providing good back-up to Mo’unga from the bench for the South before assisting Will Jordan’s match-winning try with a pinpoint cross-kick deep into injury time.
That wasn’t enough to change the selector’s minds, though, leaving Ioane to ply his trade for Otago in the Mitre 10 Cup.
Speaking to the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, the one-test star was philosophical about his omission from the national set-up, revealing he is eager to start his fourth season with Otago.
“You’ve got two of the best in the world in Beaudy and Richie, and Damian, who’s a fullback that can cover 10, so I sort of knew that [there would] potentially be no room,” Ioane said.
“I spoke to Fozzie and the feedback was quite positive. Being next in line, my job now is just go back to Mitre 10 and play well for Otago. Otago’s a lot of fun. Love playing down there with the boys.
“We’re pretty much playing the All Blacks this week in Auckland, because they’ve got so many players.
“It was a hard one. Like I said, my job now is [to] go away and try and put my best foot forward for Otago.”
Some have made the #AllBlacks for the first time, some have revived their careers by winning re-calls, while others have regressed by missing the cut.https://t.co/VERQMV76Rj
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The Auckland reference stems from the fact that seven of the players named in Foster’s All Blacks squad on Sunday have been released to play for the province against Otago this weekend – more than any other provincial side in the country.
By comparison, Otago had no players named in the All Blacks squad, which could represent a tough challenge against the likes of Rieko and Akira Ioane, Patrick Tuipulotu, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Caleb Clarke, Hoskins Sotutu and Alex Hodgman in Dunedin this Saturday.
Ioane wasn’t the only player deemed unlucky not to have made Foster’s 35-man team, with standout Chiefs flanker Lachlan Boshier missing out as a result of some strong depth in the loose forwards department.
All Blacks halfback Brad Weber was among those disappointed by the openside flanker’s exclusion, but noted the physically taxing style of play that loose forwards have to endure may open a pathway for his Chiefs teammate later in the year.
“I’ve sung Lachie Boshier’s praises on here a fair bit, so a bit gutted for him, but I suppose he’s in a similar position to you, Josh, where he’s probably seen more of a seven and stuck behind Sam Cane and Ardie Savea at the moment,” Weber told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“I guess the thing is, with loose forwards especially, the attrition rate in that position, because it’s such a physical position, that generally speaking there’s injuries at some point.
“I’m sure some of those guys who have missed out will get a chance at some time throughout the year.”
Weber added that the modern day use of having two openside flankers in a starting loose forward trio, as utilised by both the Chiefs and All Blacks over the past year, could work in Boshier’s favour.
The uncapped 25-year-old was regularly named at No. 6 for the Chiefs despite his openside flanker traits, complementing franchise captain Sam Cane in the traditional No. 7 role.
That tactic was similarly used by the All Blacks last year when Ardie Savea was named at blindside flanker and often deployed as a No. 8 in the lead-up to and during the World Cup in an effort to work in tandem with Cane.
For that reason, Weber suggested there is still plenty Boshier could offer to the All Blacks, even though he finds himself at the backend of an openside flanker logjam.
“He was playing six for us, but we were playing two sevens, really, with him and Sam,” five-test halfback Weber said of Boshier and Cane at the Chiefs.
“But, he can cover that position if need be, if they want to play that style. We were playing Ardie and Sam at seven and eight last year, so it’s not unheard of to have a slightly smaller guy at that six.
“Lachie’s not tiny, he’s still a pretty heavy boy, even though he might not look it, but I’m sure he’s been given good, positive feedback about what to take back to his Mitre 10 Cup and if he keeps knocking on the door, potentially it will open for him.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“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
4 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.
9 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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 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)
4 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?
5 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.
6 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 comments