‘Start him’: Ex-All Black centurion pushes for Rieko Ioane recall

87-Test All Black back Rieko Ioane hasn’t started a game since the All Blacks’ most important Test match of the 2025 season against the Springboks at Eden Park, where they came out on top, 24-17. 

On that day, the All Blacks kept their long unbeaten streak at Eden Park for another year, but since then, Ioane has only been used a couple of times off the bench in an impact role.

With Chiefs winger Leroy Carter receiving a yellow card for an illegal trip on a Scotland player and with Caleb Clarke being ruled out with a head knock, there has been discussion surrounding who should play on the wing against England at Allianz Stadium this weekend.

Scott Robertson and his coaching staff could elevate Billy Proctor to the No.13 jersey, and move Leicester Fainga’anuku onto the left wing, or they could shift Jordan to the right-wing, Carter to to the left, and have star playmaker Damian McKenzie start at fullback.

There’s all of those options, and then there’s bringing Ioane back into the frame, to give the backline some experience ahead of a huge game on their end-of-year Grand Slam tour.

Former All Black centurion Mils Muliaina believes it could be Ioane’s time to step up, saying that he trusts the 87-Test utility back.

“I mean, this is a Grand Slam, right? And I think you lead into certain games, he mentioned they picked the best players and I think this is a time now for a Rieko Ioane to get a start,” Muliaina said on The Breakdown on Sky Sport.

“I would start him and put Damian McKenzie at fullback. I think Leroy Carter needs a spell, I think the last couple of weeks, he’s just starting to probably dip a little bit with it. 

“He [Ioane] brings someone with energy, and we’re not talking about a 10 Test All Black here, we’re talking about 87 tests, 38 tries, that’s not a risk.”

Muliaina also adds that Ioane’s experience could also mean Ruben Love could get some game time off the bench if McKenzie is elevated to the starting lineup.

“When you’ve got experience like that, and you’re going into a massive game, and a guy up his calibre, I just think with the energy that he now can bring and he was good against the Wallabies.

“I think it ‘s a chance now for Rieko Ioane to start and have Damian McKenzie at the back, Ruben love off the bench, don’t wait to Wales. 

“Why do we need to wait for Wales to bring Ruben Love into the fold?”

One of Ioane’s teammate at the Blues, and former All Black Angus Ta’avao, disagrees with Muliaina, as he believes they shouldn’t change much, if anything.

“But he’s played 87 Tests for the All Blacks. He knows how to perform, he knows what to do at the highest level and I back him to play in there, but when we start bringing other players who haven’t played much footy without that experience, like we want to win and our expectation is to win a Grand Slam. 

“So I disagree with you. I think they need to wait for Wales, and they need to back their best team here.”

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

1

Draws

1

Wins

3

Average Points scored

22

22

First try wins

60%

Home team wins

60%

Former World Cup winning first-five and current Sky Sports commentator Stephen Donald says he would bring Ioane in, and keep McKenzie in that impact role on the bench.

“I’m starting Leroy Carter, and I’m bringing Rieko in, and I’m leaving Damian there,” Donald said on The Breakdown. 

“Purely from the fact we’re actually slowly starting to get what’s required in the last 20 or 30 minutes and I can’t go away from the fact that that first half was as I think it’s as good as we’ve seen this year. 

“Will Jordan’s a part of that at 15, but I just think at last, we’re starting to get some real punch off the bench and there’s others too, like Tamaiti Williams and Pasilio Tosi and the likes, are going well. 

“They could probably put in their hand up for a start, but just leave them and try and get this bench thing happening.”