Highlanders sweat on Ioane’s return
The Highlanders are hopeful Josh Ioane will be available to face the Crusaders in Dunedin on Saturday, which in turn could allow Mitch Hunt to solve their problem position at fullback.
‘‘Josh is on track,’’ Highlanders coach Aaron Mauger said after the 27-24 Super Rugby Aotearoa loss to the Blues at Eden Park in Auckland.
‘‘He ran today [Saturday]. We got a good report that he was back up to 100 per cent running.
‘‘We’ve just got to make sure with that groin we get through a bit of kicking early in the week, and we can make a decision on his availability.’’
Ioane’s return can’t come soon enough, although not because the Highlanders struggled at No 10 against the Blues.
Hunt was decisive and incisive, and although he missed a late penalty shot
the Highlanders’ issues were at fullback.
Scott Gregory made several costly errors, struggling under the high ball and gifting a soft try to Blues flanker Dalton Papalii after having a kick charged down.
‘‘It was a tough night for Scotty,’’ Mauger said of the 21-year-old. ‘‘He did some things well but obviously didn’t quite execute some of the work under the high ball.
‘‘We always knew that [the high ball] was coming. It was just one of those nights where he didn’t quite execute. It often happens to young guys early in their career.
‘‘He’ll be stronger for it. He’s got a strong character, and he’ll bounce back,’’ Mauger said.
Fullback has been a problem position for the Highlanders all year, and the Blues game showed why they were so keen to lure Nehe MilnerSkudder to Dunedin, even as he comes back from a long-term shoulder injury.
But If Ioane is fit enough to face the Crusaders, it would seem an obvious move to start him at No 10 with Hunt moving back to No 15, as the Highlanders had planned to do at the start of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
‘‘We’re all really rapt for Mitch,’’ Mauger said. ‘‘I thought he was outstanding. His direction was spot on, he executed the game plan well, he was tough when he needed to be tough, he carried the ball to the line.
‘‘He was seeing space really well. He’s just got to keep it going now.’’
The Highlanders could be forced into making at least one change in the back three, after young wing Sam Gilbert had to be helped from the field against the Blues due to a sore knee.