Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

'Looking forward to playing him': Highlanders relishing Josh Ioane reunion

By Alex McLeod
(Photo by Alan Lee/Photosport)

As fate would have it, new Chiefs recruit Josh Ioane is primed to make his official debut for his new side against his former team at his old home this weekend.

ADVERTISEMENT

It wasn’t originally supposed to be that way, but a rescheduled season draw and a centralised Queenstown bubble amid New Zealand’s Omicron outbreak leaves the Highlanders up against their ex-star playmaker in their season-opener on Saturday.

That is provided the Chiefs, who are blessed with various first-fives worthy of starting roles this season, opt to thrust Ioane into the No 10 jersey in four days’ time.

Video Spacer

Picking the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific champions | Aotearoa Rugby Pod

Video Spacer

Picking the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific champions | Aotearoa Rugby Pod

Should they do so, the one-test pivot will be tasked with trying to get one over the Highlanders after he left the franchise with a year left on his contract with the aim of fulfilling his vast potential that made him an All Black in 2019.

Standing in Ioane’s way will be the man who usurped him as the first-choice first-five at the Highlanders – Mitch Hunt.

After having embarked on a move of his own two years ago, when he shifted from the Crusaders to the Highlanders in search of more game time, Hunt fully understands the reasoning behind Ioane’s transfer to the Chiefs.

“It was an opportunity for him to potentially head away and be a better version of himself, and he felt like that place was the Chiefs, so I wish him all the best,” Hunt told reporters on Tuesday.

ADVERTISEMENT

Thus far, it appears as though Ioane has taken his opportunities at the Chiefs with aplomb as he has performed strongly in his two pre-season outings against Moana Pasifika and the Blues.

Back to his ball-running and playmaking best, Ioane poses a significant threat if given the licence to roam freely on the dry track that his former home ground, Forsyth Barr Stadium, has to offer.

As such, Hunt is wary of the damage the 26-year-old could cause, especially with the added motivation of playing against his ex-teammates.

“He looked really well at the backend of NPC as well, and the games we’ve seen of him the last few weeks, so it’ll be good to get out there and battle with him. I know he’ll be probably pretty pumped to play the Highlanders as well for his first game.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Highlanders assistant coach Clarke Dermody echoed Hunt’s sentiments, although he was sure to make note that Ioane, as much as he has impressed for his new side, is still only one player in a threatening Chiefs outfit.

Related

“I fully understand why Josh wanted to leave,” Dermoday said.

“He felt like he needed a change in scene. He’d been in Dunedin a long time, he hadn’t quite got to where he wanted to go, and, even though he had time to run on his contract, you can never hold a player if he doesn’t want to be around.

“He looks like he’s changed. He’s gone up there and he looks really fit. It was good to see him get a run on the weekend for them, and we’re looking forward to playing him.

“Obviously the boys know him really well, he knows our structures really well, but, like you say, it doesn’t come down to one man.”

Aiding the Highlanders in their quest to deny Ioane a victorious return to Dunedin is the fitness status of fullback Sam Gilbert and flanker James Lentjes.

Both players emerged from last week’s game of three halves against the Chiefs and Blues as injury concerns, but they have returned to full training this week.

Whether or not they will feature in the season-opener remains to be seen, although those within the Highlanders camp were debriefed on who will face the Chiefs this weekend on Monday.

Regardless, Dermody said the return of Lentjes, in particular, is crucial for the Highlanders given his experience, leadership and talent.

That could prove to be vital in a forward pack that failed to fire at the set-piece at Wakatipu Rugby Club last weekend, and Dermody outlined that area as an aspect that his team needs to improve come Saturday.

“Obviously a hugely important part of the game. Not super stoked with the weekend. We had a few opportunities in that first game against the Chiefs that we didn’t execute, so definitely a focus this week on tidying that up,” he said.

“As you say, it’s very important to make the most of opportunities when you get those inside [the opposition] 22, especially.”

Elsewhere, loose forward Christian Lio-Willie has returned to Dunedin after breaking his wrist in training, and he will soon be followed by wing Rory van Vugt, who suffered the same injury against the Chiefs three days ago.

Lio-Willie has since been replaced in the squad by young Otago lock Fabian Holland, the Dutch-born second rower who is set to link up with the squad after completing his five-day self-isolation period on Tuesday evening.

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

40 Go to comments
A
Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

40 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING England No8 Sarah Beckett banned after leg-breaking croc roll tackle England No8 Sarah Beckett banned after leg-breaking croc roll tackle
Search