All Blacks legends debate Rieko Ioane’s Test future after ‘lacking’ fundamental skill in England series
Rieko Ioane alongside The Breakdown panel.
A couple of All Blacks legends feel that Rieko Ioane’s place is under threat following his performances against England in July.
The speedster struggled to make an impression in the two-Test series, despite being part of a winning team.
New Zealand defeated the Red Rose 16-15 and 24-17 in Dunedin and Auckland respectively to secure a 2-0 triumph, but Ioane was denied any space by the English defence.
The main criticism of the 27-year-old, who started his career on the wing, comes around his handling and the ability to get the ball to the outside channel while under pressure.
That was in contrast to Billy Proctor, a player that is a natural centre, who stood out on debut against Fiji with the variety in his game.
The caveat
The only caveat, as ex-All Black Jeff Wilson explained, is that South Africa – their toughest test in the Rugby Championship – and England present very different challenges to the Pacific Islanders.
“What Billy Proctor went out and did was fundamentally being accurate in what you need to see from an All Black centre,” Wilson said on The Breakdown.
“He ran great lines, defensively was really strong, but once again he’s not going to have this time and space against a big and physical defence like South Africa.
“Argentina, that’s going to be in Wellington and Auckland, you don’t know about all those conditions, so all these things are going to change.
“When he goes out and has to deliver, he’s got to put pressure on everybody else, so now we know what he’s capable of.
“Does that mean he starts ahead of Rieko Ioane in a big Test match? It’s going to be a different challenge. What it has done has said: ‘Here’s a guy, this is what he can do.’
“If Scott Robertson and his coaching team decide this is the skill set they want then he’ll get his opportunity.”
All Blacks legend urges Scott Robertson to issue Rieko Ioane ultimatum to ‘evolve’ game plan
Ultimatum
Justin Marshall recently stated that head coach Scott Robertson should issue Ioane with an ultimatum by “either getting him to distribute or finding a player that can.”
Sir John Kirwan effectively agreed with Marshall, admitting that Robertson will have to make a change if the experienced centre does not develop, but the All Blacks great hopes that he responds to the pressure.
“There will be things that you will be selecting people on against the top five. What Rieko needs to learn to do under pressure is give that last pass. That’s the only thing he lacks probably,” Kirwan said.
“He is incredibly strong getting us over the advantage line, he’s running really hard lines. The lines that you saw Proctor do against Fiji, Rieko would have had a blinder on Saturday.
“When the pressure comes on, we need you to make that last pass Rieko. You do that, we don’t have too many problems.
“If he doesn’t get better, that’s when they go, ‘Billy, you go out there and have a crack.’ Rieko will know that, it will be on his things to improve list, but now he’s got that pressure, that really motivates you.”
Blues’ game plan
Ioane was part of a Blues side that won their first Super Rugby title since 2003, but it was brutality rather than dexterity that did it for them.
Under Vern Cotter in 2024, they were direct and confrontational, focusing on set-piece, gain line dominance and an accurate kicking game to win them matches.
That almost Test-like focus on the fundamentals proved to be successful for the team but Wilson argued that it could have affected the centre’s skill set.
“He went a whole season without passing the ball at the Blues because that’s not the way the Blues play. They were direct, they were physical,” he added.
“The fact he wasn’t using those soft skills, the fact they were playing in a lot of games at night. They were blunt force trauma through the middle and that’s what he did really well.
“In terms of those passing skills he didn’t do a lot of it through Super Rugby and I think it’s taking him a bit of time to maybe get back into the habit.
“Against England, you weren’t going to get a lot of opportunity to do that. He missed a couple of opportunities there, it’s something he will have to work on.”
