Rieko Ioane's plan to get back into the All Blacks starting XV
Superstar wing Rieko Ioane insists he has not fallen out of favour with the All Blacks selectors – and has hit back at suggestions that his future with the national team is in danger.
Ioane, whose axing from the All Blacks 23 for the Bledisloe Cup decider against Australia last week came as a shock to many New Zealand rugby fans, will return to provincial rugby for the first time in three years when he runs out for Auckland in the Mitre 10 Cup this weekend.
The 26-cap flyer has been one of the leading international players over the past two seasons, but was replaced by George Bridge for the All Blacks’ emphatic win over the Wallabies at Eden Park, following a string of underwhelming performances this year.
While the 22-year-old wouldn’t divulge what All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen had said to him since, he admitted to being left frustrated with some of the rumours on social media.
“I have spoken with the coaches [about] what they expect of me…but that’s behind closed doors and it’s what I’ve got to deal with. I’m just looking forward to getting out there and doing the job for Auckland. I think the last time I played for them was in 2016 so I need to get these legs going again,” Ioane said.
“Sometimes social media takes its toll on the team, the boys. Not so much on me but some of the boys get talking, and then you get messages from other boys, asking ‘what’s going on?’
“But I’m good. I’m happy being me. I’m happy with the way I’m playing and that’s just the way rugby goes sometimes. There’s no big dramatic feeling.”
And he wasn’t surprised by the breakout performance of Bridge in just his fourth test, Ioane said.
“It’s always been that way, even if the perception [among the media] was different,” he said when asked about the depth at outside back.
“I’ve certainly always felt that the competition on wing has been strong with all the outside backs we have in New Zealand. You have Waisake [Naholo] who wasn’t even here and Bridgey and Sevu [Reece] who have been performing outstandingly.
“It makes the competition a lot stronger which is good for us and the All Blacks.”
Ioane has welcomed the opportunity to impress Hansen and Co against the Bay of Plenty, after Auckland’s undefeated start to the Mitre 10 Cup.
“I’ve just got to have the discipline to stay in shape and play where the team needs me to be. I don’t need to go out there and be a superhero with a team that’s already working. I’ve come in and try to fit in,” he said.
Ioane’s name is expected to be one of the 31 read out next week when the All Blacks name their squad for the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
“I’m just looking forward to getting out there and getting some good game time in. Hopefully, all goes to plan – I just need to get round the paddock and get a few touches on the ball.
“We got told that everyone’s got their own training regime now. I just want to keep training hard and get a win for Auckland. It’s going to be an interesting selection.”
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished again with permission.
The Season – Series 3:
Comments on RugbyPass
An 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!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 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.
24 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.
24 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 commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to comments