Interim Highlanders boss Clarke Dermody sets date on Josh Ioane's injury return
The Highlanders could welcome back star playmaker Josh Ioane from an ankle injury as early as next week when the Dunedin franchise take on the Western Force in Perth.
Speaking shortly after his side’s comprehensive 40-19 dismantling of the Queensland Reds in the opening match of Super Rugby Trans-Tasman in Dunedin on Friday, interim Highlanders head coach Clarke Dermody revealed Ioane is in line for a return within the coming fortnight.
“He’s back running now. I think he’s got another session tomorrow, but all indications are he’s nearly there, so we’re hoping to be able to use him, if not next week, then definitely the week after,” Dermody, who is filling in for Tony Brown while he is on international duty with Japan, said.
Ioane hasn’t featured for the Highlanders since he sprained his ankle on the eve of his team’s heavy defeat to the Hurricanes in their final Super Rugby Aotearoa match two weeks ago.
Prior to that, the one-test All Black had been in top form for the Highlanders, playing starring roles in their matches against the Chiefs and Blues in the lead-up to his injury.
The 25-year-old’s shift to fullback allowed him to flourish with extra time and space available to him as gelled well with first-five Mitch Hunt in a dual playmaking partnership.
Hunt has also played well this season, and that continued at Forsyth Barr Stadium as he worked with halves partner and co-captain Aaron Smith to bombard the Reds with a series of well-executed tactical kicks.
Time and time again, Hunt and Smith forced the Super Rugby AU champions onto the back foot by kicking the ball in behind their defensive line and into open space.
Hunt admitted after the match it was a deliberate ploy designed to run the big Queensland forwards off their feet, something of which the Highlanders capitalised on through their quick, off-the-cuff attack.
“It’s tough to get the ball in behind and continually try and turn yourself around, especially in their group where they’ve got a lot of big boys,” the 25-year-old said.
“It’s going to be hard for them to keep going back, exit well, keep going back, exit well, and that takes its toll on a team, so that was a big part [of our game plan].”
Hunt also revealed the Highlanders placed a big emphasis on the defensive side of their game and spoke highly of his fellow backs, who he said stood up and dominated on the opposite side of the ball against the Reds.
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“Obviously our defence as well was huge tonight. We were pretty poor [during Super Rugby Aotearoa] and a big focus was our backs tonight.
“Some great shots tonight by Sio [Tomkinson], Scotty Gregory, our wingers getting up into those channels and really making a nuisance of ourselves and that paid dividends for us.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Smith, who said the victory was the perfect way to start Super Rugby Trans-Tasman.
“It was a chance at redemption and a fresh start,” the 97-test All Blacks said.
“We had a great review last week around the Aotearoa comp, where we got things right and where we got things wrong, and we really tried to build a consistent week from our positive weeks of the Aotearoa comp and I think we got that tonight.
“We were full of energy, we were at home, and we had a great plan. The Reds still had their moments, but I felt like we controlled the game, really wanted to control the territory battle and run them around.
“We knew they might have had a big week celebrating [their Super Rugby AU title] and we didn’t want to show them any mercy and give them a chance. We just really wanted to make them work, make them earn everything they got.
“If you let them go set piece to set piece, they’re very dangerous, but I was really proud of their efforts tonight. A couple of guys got a shot and took their opportunities.”
Now sitting at the top of the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman table, the Highlanders will travel to Perth on Tuesday via Auckland and Sydney before they take on the Western Force at HBF Park next Friday.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments