Unwanted Ioane kick-starts dream Chiefs win
It might not quite be the last laugh, but Josh Ioane may at least allow himself a little smirk.
Largely overlooked for the No 10 jersey at the Highlanders during the second half of his fouryear stint, the one-test All Black had every reason to savour his Chiefs debut yesterday.
Craving a fresh start after his career had stalled down south, the 26-year-old couldn’t have had a more intriguing matchup scripted for him on the opening weekend of Super Rugby Pacific.
Down in Queenstown – Highlanders territory – for a ‘home’ game against his former side, Ioane squared off with Mitch Hunt – the man who had usurped him since his arrival from the Crusaders for 2020.
Nothing like getting straight down to business then, in front of former coach Tony Brown, having left the Highlanders with a year remaining on his contract to try and kick-start his career.
And, after playing a solid 52-minute hand Ioane, some heavy strapping to his right quad notwithstanding, would have taken a fair slice more satisfaction than most with his new side’s 26-16 victory in Queenstown.
With Damian McKenzie off to Japan, Ioane’s shift to the Chiefs was too good an option for either party to miss.
Having initially been such a bright prospect at the Highlanders, earning an All Blacks debut in the 2019 pre-World Cup test against Tonga in Hamilton, Ioane’s form tailed off markedly, with injuries and a shuffling of positions to both second-five and fullback not helping, as Hunt became the preferred No 10.
‘‘Game-time at 10 was definitely a factor, I felt like I wasn’t getting much game time at 10 at the Landers, and that’s where I wanted to play,’’ Ioane told Stuff last month.
Then, last year, there was of course also the off-field misdemeanour which saw Ioane part of a group of six Highlanders stood down after breaking team protocol after a rowdy gathering at his residence – a place neighbours had described as a notorious ‘‘party house’’.
Now, after leaving Dunedin with a year remaining on his contract, instead of living with team-mates, Ioane’s hunkered down with his partner in Hamilton, with plenty of family also on hand in the city.
There was no trying to be McKenzie yesterday. There was just Ioane, comfortably slipping into his new colours and doing basic things well – an absolute key in a first-rounder.
In what were tricky conditions – the game played in sunshine but on a slippery surface following plenty of rain – Ioane was involved plenty early, showing signs of what is one of the most beautiful passes in the country.
Then there was his educated boot – kicking eight points off the tee, getting good purchase on his clearances, while a couple of times finding the grass in behind as he went about frustrating the Landers’ back three, particularly struggling debutant Mosese Dawai.
With former Highlander Bryn Gatland as back-up, Ioane was subbed in the 53rd minute, and just maybe he might have cracked a wry smile as he jogged off with the scrum about to set, as it was Hunt who made a bad spill.