'It's nice to know we're not a walk in the park anymore... we're now ready to win at Munster'
Never in a millions years would Monty Ioane have imagined he’d become a rugby hero in Italy last weekend. All he knew growing up in Melbourne was that the sport was played there in a some small capacity, but he’s now fully vested in the exploits of Treviso who have shaken up the PRO14 by qualifying for a quarter-final next Saturday at Munster.
Following a dissatisfactory two-year spell at Stade Francais, Ioane had sworn himself off ever playing in Europe again. However, a phone call out the blue from Kieran Crowley changed all that and the minnow club’s history-making exploits since then have only added to his burgeoning reputation as a finisher to be feared.
Benetton had an ugly status for consistently losing. In 2015/16 alone, they lost 19 of 22 matches, collected a meagre 20 points and finished rock bottom of the PRO12, a whopping 53 points behind table-topping Leinster.
Now, with that gap reduced just 19, they are a side to be taken very seriously. Beating struggling Zebre might not look much on paper, but Treviso’s achievement last Saturday was the culmination of years of hard work.
It was rather fitting, though, that their play-off clinching bonus try was scored in the corner in Parma by Ioane, a signing who has lit up Benetton’s participation in the league with his 13 tries.
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The 24-year-old Australian has played 29 PRO14 games since his low-key arrival in Italy in December 2017 from New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty and his strike rate is incredible – 18 wins, two draws and just nine defeats.
No wonder he not only revelled in last weekend’s qualification celebrations, he’s now heading for Limerick convinced the Italians are capable of upsetting the Champions Cup semi-finalists.
“We will look at this game as an opportunity,” he told RugbyPass. We are the underdogs, which is a good thing for us. It’s always good being the underdog, but we’re definitely going there to win. We not just, ‘Okay, we made the play-offs and it’s going to end there’. We have set the mindset to attack and score tries. We’re ready to win.”
The Quarter Finals of the #GUINNESSPRO14 Championship are set! ?
First up, ? @Munsterrugby will face ? @BenettonRugby in Thomond Park on May 4th at 15:00 pic.twitter.com/DOQUj2bjYj
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) April 27, 2019
This fighting talk typifies the positivity flowing through a rejuvenated club where all that seems to be missing is some form of a celebratory song to hail their now regular victories. “There isn’t one that I’m aware of. We can’t say we have really sung anything in the changing room.”
This lack of an anthem, though, didn’t dampen jubilation in Parma. “It was amazing going into the changing rooms knowing that we had achieved our goal. It had been a long process, but we finally did it.
“I haven’t been at Benetton for a long time but just you could see the emotion in a lot of the players’ faces. It was definitely something to be proud of. Even on the way back home as well, the boys just couldn’t help I won’t say celebrate by drinking, they were just happy that it wasn’t the end to our season.
?Il film della fantastica giornata vissuta allo Stadio Lanfranchi di Parma!
??Una preziosa vittoria che è valsa uno storico accesso ai playoff di Guinness @PRO14Official pic.twitter.com/EnVBjAmYm2— Benetton Rugby ? (@BenettonRugby) April 29, 2019
“Just to be able to play for something, that was why there was a huge crowd with everyone knowing the rivalry between the two teams – them not wanting us to go through and us wanting to go through. For Italian rugby it was just amazing.
“The goal was always step by step, working week in week out trying to achieve results. We didn’t get wins in every game but as long as we were seeing progression in the team during the week and in the games, we knew we were heading in the right direction after the past two seasons.
“Before arriving I had obviously heard what the team was like and from other teams, the kind of respect they were not giving Benetton, so it’s nice to know that this year we are contenders and we’re not a walk in the park anymore.
“For us to achieve an awesome result like this has definitely changed the eyes of Italians and the mentality as well. It’s still a work in progress and it’s not easy, but it’s rewarding, especially for the guys who have been here for a long time. I was lucky to arrive at the right time, I guess.”
It was Crowley, the 1987 World Cup winner, who convinced him a second stint in Europe wouldn’t be all that bad. Having moved to Brisbane at the age of 16 to live with his uncle, Australian international Digby Ioane, the pair wound up together in Paris at Stade Francais.
He made just a single Top 14 appearance in August 2014 before trying his luck in New Zealand at provincial level with Tasman and Bay of Plenty. Then came the life-changing call.
“It was pretty much out of the blue. It had come up a couple of times from my agent, but I never had the plan to come back to Europe. I’d been in France for two seasons and felt like I didn’t grow there, but wherever you go it’s always going to be tough and it was a tough time for me in Paris. I was 18 at the time and just trying to adapt to a whole new lifestyle.
“I went over at a really young age. I don’t know if I was ready but I ended up going anyway and it was all a learning experience. Maybe it’s the wrong word if I say that I didn’t grow as a player. Maybe I did because being there was one of my hardest times. In that way it helped me grow up.
“Benetton just randomly happened and I could never look back on the decision (with regret) because it’s probably one of the best decisions I have made. It was definitely Kieran. He gave me a call and I spoke to him for a good hour before making the decision and I could see what he wanted to make the team work.
È ORA DI RUGGIRE! ? pic.twitter.com/yrioTBMpiz
— Benetton Rugby ? (@BenettonRugby) April 27, 2019
“A mate of mine, Whetu Douglas, was telling me that they had improved quite a lot and then the end result was me being here. It was definitely one of the best decisions because Treviso has helped me grow as a player.
“I would never have thought I would have ended up here in Italy for rugby. Living in Australia I didn’t think it had a very big following. Being able to play in the PRO14 is an amazing thing, but the lifestyle and the change in the way they play rugby here is what also attracted me.
“Kieran is obviously a Kiwi so being able to play the New Zealand style of game, it wasn’t new to me. Italians were adapting to his style of play with a bit of flair of their own, but it’s nothing new to me which is what excites me the most and it has brought the best out of me.
“The good thing about Treviso is that you are able to drive on a weekend. You can go up to Milan or different cities which is quite good for my family (two young Australian-born girls) because they love the whole European lifestyle. It’s amazing for them and it’s all new.”
Uncle Digby is now be making his living in Japan, but the line of communication is still strong and, who knows, the family could be celebrating an Italian Test cap if Ioane, who qualifies under residency in December 2020, continue to impress.
“To be honest there is no decision made or anything like that. I’ve just been trying to focus on playing my best footy for Treviso. I don’t really look at it like that,” he said.
????HISTORY-MAKERS ????
Monty Ioane scored the crucial try for @BenettonRugby, who become the first Italian team to reach the #GUINNESSPRO14 Final Series#GUINNESSPRO14 #ZEBvBEN pic.twitter.com/iJng2y3mnO
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) April 27, 2019
“He [Digby] gives me messages here and there. He’s quite proud I wouldn’t say of how far I have come but of how I have been going lately. He still gives tips here and there. He still thinks he is faster than me, so he says.
“I’m happy with what I’m doing, but I put it down to all the work by the team. I do the easy stuff after they do the hard work and they are making my job a lot easier. But to score a try just to seal it off against Zebre, it was definitely a memorable moment in an amazing season where we have had many moments like that.”
Now for a sequel in Limerick.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
26 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
26 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
26 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
26 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
26 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments