Ioane eager to seize second chance
Star Blues midfielder tells Marc Hinton a promising start to 2020 counts for nothing as rugby hits reset button.
RIEKO Ioane’s slate is clean and his mind clear as he readies for a rugby restart that carries a lot of personal weight.
The 23-year-old uber-talented utility back (now equally at home at centre as he is wing) was a man on a mission when Super Rugby as we know it shut down mid-March seven rounds into the season.
Ioane, much like the franchise he’s played for since his 2016 debut, has a lot to prove this season. After a flying start to his international career, he fell down the All Blacks pecking order in 2019 and was well aware he had ground to make up and new coaches to impress.
He was also desperate to be part of a long-overdue turnaround at the Blues.
As part of his personal reset,
Ioane had expressed a desire to play his rugby for the Blues in 2020 at centre which he has always rated his best position. Following a false start (he fractured his hand in the season opener, playing on the wing) he returned to play the last three matches – all victories – at No 13 where he looked to have slipped nicely into some top-end form. He had scored four tries in four starts when things came to a halt.
Now, after two months in lockdown and three weeks preparing for Super Rugby Aotearoa, Ioane feels ready for a resumption he’s viewing very much as a new beginning.
‘‘I think we’ve parked our performances we had before Covid hit,’’ said Ioane after the final hitout leading into today’s Super Rugby Aotearoa opener at Eden Park against the Hurricanes. ‘‘It’s a new challenge, a new competition and a new dynamic. The team is excited and in a good spot coming out of this mini preseason.’’
We wondered if the Blues didn’t open just a little down the track after that 5-2 start –their best in nearly a decade – preCovid? They had won their last four on the bounce and the signs had been positive that a corner of sorts had been turned.
Ioane’s response was revealing. These Blues have their eyes very much on the big prize in 2020.
‘‘We only achieved a couple of wins … nothing to write home about,’’ he said. ‘‘We definitely played some decent enough footy, but whether we can keep that rolling is going to be the challenge.‘‘
That challenge is aided by the introduction of star off-season signing Beauden Barrett and powerhouse wing Caleb Clarke into a backline that had looked razor-sharp in March. For Ioane it’s now about refining what they were doing well pre-shutdown.
‘‘It’s about getting crisper at that stuff that didn’t go too well. Us backs have been talking a lot and with Beauden’s insight and input, especially against the
Canes, it’s gold. We’re going to attack each game as it goes, and in terms of clarity the boys are in a good spot.’’
Ioane, though, could not hide his excitement over the potential of this backline that retains its dual playmakers (Otere Black at 10 and Barrett at fullback), pairs Ioane with TJ Faiaine in a developing midfield, and has Clarke and Mark Telea lurking with intent, and power, on the wings.
Of course, there’s also veteran Dan Carter still to be added as an intriguing backup plan.
‘‘It’s a backline we’ve worked on for a couple of years now and it’s starting to come right,’’ said Ioane. ‘‘With a couple of changes and new personnel it will be interesting to see how we go.
‘‘We were happy with how we were tracking. We’ve got Caleb coming back and Dezy (Carter) and Baz (Barrett) and it will be good to see how and where they fit in.
‘‘But I’m sure everyone is going to play their part because they’re all quality players.’’