‘Old Lazarus’ Ioane completes miraculous recovery
"He reckons he's got a broken shoulder and is out for six months, the next thing you know he's starting a test match." Lima Sopoaga on Rieko Ioane
His All Blacks team-mates have dubbed him Lazarus, and Rieko Ioane has certainly given a pretty fair impression this week of a rugby player coming back from the dead.
On Sunday in Edinburgh, just before the All Blacks decamped to Cardiff for the final week of their season, coach Steve Hansen declared the star wing an almost certain non-starter against the Welsh.
‘‘He’s done a rotator cuff, it’s quite weak, so he’s probably not going to be available,’’ the coach told us.
When Ioane was reduced to spectator status at Tuesday’s training, alongside Luke Romano and Kieran Read, there was nothing to suggest Hansen’s words would soon come back to haunt him.
But by Thursday, the magic healing dust had been sprinkled, for there was the 20-year-old, out there, taking a full part, and soon named to start his 11th test of this breakthrough season.
‘‘Old Lazarus,’’ snorted Lima Sopoaga, ‘‘back from the dead, that fella. He reckons he’s got a broken shoulder and is out for six months, the next thing you know he’s starting a test match. It must be something in his water. Unbelievable.’’
Back-three mate Damian Mckenzie was a little more empathetic: ‘‘He’s been positive about everything, like he always is. He started working hard last Saturday after the game to try get himself right, and he’s managed to do that.
‘‘What is it? Six months to five days. That’s a bit of a drop. He’s got a great attitude, and just wants to be out there playing rugby.’’
Hansen was clearly confounded, but in the end had no hesitation restoring arguably his most consistent performer of 2017 to the starting lineup. ‘‘I don’t know what Doc’s done, but he’s fixed him and he’s available.’’
It has certainly been a remarkable tour for Ioane. He caught a dose of the mumps early on and spent much of the first week in London confined to bed before storming back to win his place back for the test against the French in Paris.
Meanwhile, there appears to have been a thawing in the relationship between coaching rivals Hansen and Warren Gatland with the two having a ‘‘chat’’ at Wednesday night’s Alun Wyn Jones testimonial dinner.
Gatland mentioned their catchup at his media briefing, and Hansen confirmed they’d shared a few words and a handshake.
‘‘I wouldn’t say it was a kneesup or anything, but we did say hello,’’ Hansen said.
Asked by a Welsh reporter if they would be having a beer together after the test, or whether it depended on the result, Hansen replied: ‘‘We drew the series in New Zealand and had a drink there. Win or lose we’ll always have a drink. That’s part of what rugby is about.’’
Hansen also shared the latest of his witticisms which are becoming an essential part of touring life. This one was his response to the All Blacks’ record of not having lost to Wales since 1953.
‘‘History is a little bit like a drought. Every day you’re one day closer to it raining. Every year they’ll be one year closer to winning a game.’’