All Blacks legend in ‘left-field’ Rieko Ioane suggestion to Scott Robertson with fellow starter having ‘one foot on the plane’ after sudden switch

Justin Marshall and Jeff Wilson believe that the two starting wings that finished last year in the All Blacks XV should not make the side to face France in July.

Caleb Clarke and the Japan-bound Mark Tele’a lined up out wide for Scott Robertson’s men against Italy in their final November international in 2024.

Clarke in particular enjoyed an outstanding campaign for the All Blacks, but he and Tele’a have struggled in an ailing Blues side.

Even the Auckland outfit’s recent improvement, which saw them qualify for the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals with a victory over the number one seeded Chiefs, has not been enough to impress Marshall.

‘Got one foot on the plane’

“I watched Mark Tele’a in Hamilton and I just think he’s got one foot on the plane to be honest, he’s not the player he was at the start of the year,” the ex-scrum-half told The Rugby Run on Sport Nation.

“Caleb Clarke looks like he can’t find his way into a rugby game at the moment. That’s just my personal opinion. You’ve got [Emoni] Narawa out there, Sevu Reece.”

Marshall then asked Wilson who he would select and the former wing’s solution is to shift Rieko Ioane from centre.

Ioane may play for the same franchise as Clarke and Tele’a, and be suffering from the same issues his team-mates are – a lack of opportunity to get his hands on the ball – but Wilson trusts the 28-year-old in that position.

“Sevu Reece has been someone they’ve trusted for so long but, in my personal opinion, and I know it’s a little bit left-field, I would play Rieko Ioane on the left wing and I would be playing Emoni Narawa on the right wing.

“For me those are the two guys [I would pick], if I start looking to the future [with the World Cup] in two years’ time. Rieko Ioane is a world-class winger and he still is, I don’t doubt that. He’s still got all the speed.

“I think we’ve got other options we can used in the midfield, so we can use him out there right now.”

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Tavatavanawai on the bench

Clarke and Tele’a could still have a couple of opportunities to find their form ahead of the All Blacks squad selection but, at the moment, Wilson would not have them in Robertson’s 23.

“Caleb Clarke’s got one more week but for me those are the two guys I would love to see get an opportunity, with an impactful player off the bench in a [Timoci] Tavatavanawai, who gives you some versatility, whether it’s in the midfield or on the wing. He’s another option to give us something a little bit different,” he added.

“I don’t know whether they’re heading in that direction but they will all get an opportunity, other than Tavatavanawai, to impress over the next couple of weeks.

“You’re right about the Mark Tele’a one, that’s a really hard conversation, because he just didn’t get any opportunities, and he’s unlikely to get many opportunities the way the Blues are playing.”

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