Rieko Ioane back on the scoreboard - but will it be enough to usurp George Bridge?
It took just 23 minutes for Rieko Ioane to announce his raw talent on the world stage, scoring a ripping try against Italy for New Zealand at the end of the 2016 season after coming onto the field as a replacement.
A year later, Ioane was named as World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year.
Rieko Ioane’s fall from grace wasn’t quite as rapid – but it was quick nonetheless.
Ioane started his career with 22 international tries from 21 matches – a stat that rivals the likes of Sitiveni Sivivatu and Joe Rokocoko.
Come the end of 2018, however, the 22-year-old hit a major speed bump. Ioane has now managed just two more tries in his six most recent games. The pacey wing has looked turgid and disinterested at times over the last 12 months and has lost his starting spot in the team to Crusader George Bridge.
Continued below…
Ioane’s coaches have given various explanations for his lack of form.
“He’s had a few issues with his legs and not being able to put as much speed training into his week as we would like,” New Zealand backs coach Ian Foster said earlier this week.
“It wasn’t an injury that kept him out of anything but it stopped him breaking through to a new level from a fitness side.”
Wednesday’s match against Canada saw Rieko Ioane make his first appearance for the All Blacks since his nation’s record loss to the Wallabies at the beginning of August – he missed three Tests where Hansen fielded top teams (or thereabouts), against Australia, Tonga and South Africa.
If Ioane was going to have any hope of usurping George Bridge on the left wing for the upcoming World Cup finals, then he needed to make a huge statement against Canada.
A year ago, amputation was a very real possibility for the 127kg @AllBlacks prop. https://t.co/ADL9DZlhUx #AllBlacks #RWC2019 #NZLvCAN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 3, 2019
Unfortunately for Ioane, the performance he put out isn’t likely to have Bridge quaking in his boots.
The Auckland back wasn’t bad – he actually played one of his better games in recent times – but it was always going to take a superlative performance to change Hansen and co’s minds about who they should be fielding in the big matches.
Ioane certainly showed some of the form of old against the hapless Canadians in difficult conditions. It may not have been raining, but the amount of moisture floating around meant it may as well have been pouring down.
One of fans’ biggest gripes concerning Ioane has been his inability to force his way into matches. Bridge, in his three appearances this year for the All Blacks, has been accruing touches all over the field. Ioane managed that later into the match against Canada, but his first touch of the ball didn’t come until the 15th minute of the game.
The deceptively agile outside back did manage to dot down for a try – his second of the year – courtesy of a midfield break to his Blues teammate Sonny Bill Williams, and he showed plenty of passion after the score that has been sorely missing from his game in recent times – at least to outside observers.
Ioane also helped set up a try for Shannon Frizell, attacking the line with vigour and getting his hands free to find the supporting loose forward.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3JBz5RgshR/
There were also a few mistakes to the wing’s game, however. He lost the ball in contact early, tried to release a difficult offload which conceded possession to the Canadians at one point, and was also penalised for playing the ball on the ground.
Those mistakes happen to everyone, but when you’re already under the microscope, they’re errors you simply can’t afford to make.
“I think I front-loaded a lot of energy in that first half after an emotional anthem and haka,” Ioane said after the game.
“I didn’t see too much of the ball for the first 15 minutes and was trying to make something out of nothing.”
Commenting on the injuries mentioned by Foster, Ioane was confident that he’s now nearing his best.
“The best thing is when my body is 100 per cent, that’s when I’ll put up the most fight and play my best footy.
“It was a bit tough not playing in that Tonga week, that meant another week out of the game, but I’m happy with how things are tracking and my body is feeling good. A couple of more games under my belt and I’ll be into it.”
“Everyone’s fighting for that spot but it’s healthy competition.”
Again, Ioane didn’t play especially poorly, he simply needed to do more against one of the weakest sides at the World Cup.
Still, Foster was just happy to have Ioane back out on the field.
“I was pleased with Rieko tonight,” Foster said.
“He got his hands on the ball, and looked fast, strong and committed.
With Sonny Bill Williams and Jack Goodhue both sitting out the last quarter, Ioane also got a chane to have a run-around in his favoured centre position.
“He had a high work rate. It was good to see him back, but it was good for him to get a taste in the midfield and it gives us options going forward.”
What a moment for @PeterNelson_15#RWC2019 https://t.co/jJAd7u5Ngn
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 2, 2019
The All Blacks will likely field their top side in a week-and-a-half’s time when they come up against Italy to ensure that the team is well-prepared for their quarterfinal. In all likelihood, Ioane won’t be in that starting side.
Perhaps Ioane is coming back into form – which is fantastic for Ioane himself, as well as the coaches, the All Blacks, New Zealand and world rugby as a whole.
Seeing Ioane at full pace, smoking or barreling through defenders, is pure rugby ecstasy.
Unfortunately for the young wing, it may simply be too late for him to push on at the current World Cup.
The Waratahs have announced a new head coach – and it’s none other than former Canterbury mastermind Rob Penney:
Comments on RugbyPass
Je 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!😭😭😭 !!!
25 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
25 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.
25 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.
25 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 commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to comments