Bernard Jackman pinpoints Rieko Ioane’s strengths and weaknesses during Leinster stint and reveals which position suits him best
Leinster and All Blacks utility back Rieko Ioane and former Ireland hooker Bernard Jackman (inset).
Bernard Jackman feels coming in as fellow All Blacks star Jordie Barrett’s replacement as Leinster’s overseas signing for the 2025/26 season put Rieko Ioane in a “very tough position”.
Ioane was Leinster’s big-name addition for this season, effectively replacing Test team-mate Barrett, who took his six-month sabbatical in Dublin during the 2024/25 campaign.
Barrett made a significant impact in his short stint with the Irish province and played a leading role during their victorious United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign.
It’s been a different story for Ioane, however, as the 88-times capped All Black, who is comfortable at outside centre or on the wing, hasn’t always been at his best since arriving at Leinster.
“So, Rieko had a very tough position because he replaced Jordie Barrett. And I can’t emphasise enough how good Jordie Barrett was last year,” former Connacht, Leinster and Ireland hooker Jackman told the DSPN podcast with Martin Devlin.
“It was incredible. And it was a big shock that he didn’t start the (Investec Champions Cup) semi-final against Northampton. And Leo Cullen, the coach who made that selection, he wanted Jordie Barrett to finish the game.
“But the game got out of control a little bit in the first half. And that looked like a big mistake. He’s one of the best foreign players. Leinster have been so lucky. We’ve had Isa Nacewa. We’ve had Brad Thorn.
“We had Jordie Barrett for a year and they were incredible. And Rieko came in, obviously, his All Black form had dipped. He went back playing, I think he played a little bit of NPC.
‘He’s been slow, to be honest’
“He wasn’t in the top physical condition or form coming over. And he’s been slow, to be honest. He was very slow.
“Now, to be fair to him, he wasn’t always playing with the international side because our international players get rested. Obviously, he wasn’t away for Six Nations. So, he had to play with some younger players, and they haven’t been stepping up to the same level.
“So, I do feel for him.”
Although Ioane failed to live up to the high standards which Barrett set, he has improved considerably in recent weeks and Jackman is delighted by his improved form as it has come at the right time for Leinster, who are set to face Bordeaux-Begles in the Investec Champions Cup final in Bilbao on May 23.
“To be honest, the last three weeks have been a big change,” he said. “It’s like those really good racehorse trainers get the horses ready for the Melbourne Cup or the English Derby.
“And this is money time now. This is money time in Ireland. The best players get ready for knockout rugby.
“I just think over the last three weeks, Rieko has performed much better. He’s had a big impact in the game. He made a try-saving tackle last week to keep Leinster in it.
“Last play of the game against Toulon, the force of turnover. If he hadn’t made that tackle, Leinster would have been out. And the weekend against the Lions, he scored a couple of tries.
“He just looked really physical, really confident and really settled with the group. So, he’s primed to finish on a high. They have one more URC game this weekend, then the Champions Cup game against Bordeaux next week.”
Jackman believes Ioane will be crucial to Leinster’s cause when they meet Bordeaux, who are the Champions Cup’s defending champions, although he feels Ioane will be involved in a battle for a starting role with James Lowe if the latter is declared fit for the final.
“And you look at the Bordeaux side of it, (Louis) Bielle-Biarrey, Maxime Lucu, (Matthieu) Jalibert, Damian Penaud in the backline,” he added. “And Leinster have internationals, Irish internationals. Jamison Gibson-Park obviously is a Kiwi who’s done an amazing job in Leinster and Ireland.
“Garry Ringrose, Hugo Keenan, etc. But James Lowe has had an injury problem. He might be back for the final.
‘I think Rieko will start on the left wing’
“But if not, I think Rieko will start on the left wing. Yeah, Leinster and Leo Cullen will need him because Leinster, for the first time in a long time are going into this as underdogs.
“They’ve been favourites for three or four finals and come unstuck against Toulouse after extra-time against La Rochelle twice.
“Bordeaux are the champions. Bordeaux have played the best rugby this year. But Leinster have changed.
“Jacques Nienaber, the old Springbok World Cup-winning coach, double World Cup-winning coach, a British and Irish Lions series winner, has brought the Springbok defence to Leinster. They don’t attack in the same manner they did before. But we know the Boks, we know how to win, knock out rugby.
“And I think everyone in Leinster, because the provinces hate each other, everyone in Leinster wants that defensive effort to be the key to hopefully winning our first European Cup since 2018.”
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Jackman was asked in which position Ioane impressed the most and replied: “He’s been better on the wing, to be honest.
“I think, to be honest with you, he’s very physical and he wins collisions and he gets you over the gain line, whether he plays in the centre or on the wing. The issue, the criticism I would have of him at centre this year has been his distribution.
“It just hasn’t been at the level that we saw last year with Jordie Barrett. So he’s been more of a tuck it under his arm and just go (player). And that’s obviously easier on the wing.
“And he gets to try and win his one-on-ones, whereas in the centre, there’s been times when it was on to pass, he didn’t pass, or it was on to pass, and he gave a poor pass. And it just killed momentum. So, again, you go into a different environment there, different style of attack.
“But for me, his best rugby for Leinster has been on the wing. And that’s where I see him. If he’s going to start next week, it’s a shootout between himself and James Lowe.
“And James Lowe’s come back from injury. Rieko’s on form, has momentum. And I think he may get the nod there.”
