Israel Dagg thought Rieko Ioane deal was an ‘April Fool’ after X-rated outburst from Leinster’s ‘favourite son’
Rieko Ioane and Johnny Sexton during the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and ex-All Blacks star Israel Dagg.
Former All Blacks star Israel Dagg admitted that he thought it was once again April Fool’s Day after the announcement of Rieko Ioane’s move to Leinster.
The New Zealand centre, who has earned 81 caps for the national team, will follow in the footsteps of Jordie Barrett having signed a short-term deal with the Irish province.
Ioane’s sabbatical begins at the end of the year where he will join Leo Cullen’s men for the remainder of the 2025/26 campaign.
It is both a controversial and rather surprising move, however, given the 28-year-old’s history with Ireland and particularly Johnny Sexton, who is Leinster’s favourite son.
Ioane’s and Sexton’s public spat
Sexton hit back at Ioane for his comments immediately following the All Blacks’ victory over Ireland in the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final, calling him a ‘fake-humble f****r’, and then discussed that squabble in his autobiography.
After the release of that book, the New Zealander doubled down and mocked the former fly-half, making the decision to switch to the Dublin-based outfit all the more unexpected.
“Wow! I honestly had to check the date again because I’m sick of getting April fooled,” Dagg said on Sport Nation’s Scotty & Izzy show.
“I would commend him for attacking this head-on with what’s gone on in the past. Your favourite son has written a book about him, a big passage on it, but he has made that decision to go and play for the club.
“I would never, ever, ever think he would go and put on that jersey, but he’s proved me wrong, and he’s probably proved a lot of people wrong.”
Dagg ultimately believes that Ioane has been convinced to move after seeing Barrett’s efforts in a blue jersey.
“If you look at how good Jordie Barrett has gone over there, he’s cleaning up, and him saying before he’s gone over and done what he’s done about going over there and developing. Rieko’s come out and spoken about that situation,” he said.
“I actually see a lot of positives in it. The reason I say that is Jordie Barrett would have had multiple offers which probably would have dwarfed that offer from Leinster – I’m saying I know because I do know.
“His decision to actually turn down the money… I can see some real merit in it. I didn’t see it coming, though.
“Maybe he just saw what Jordie was able to do and it inspired him. Jordie’s game has developed so much.”
Following Jordie Barrett’s development
Quite what the short-term deal has done for Barrett and the All Blacks will be demonstrated over the next couple of years, but the consensus is that the midfield maestro has improved since being in Ireland.
Dagg reckons that Ioane sees the opportunity to do the same and develop his skills, which have been criticised over the past couple of years.
“For Rieko, he’s been in our system since 16, 17 years of age, he’s probably just had the same coaching, same messages constantly. He wants to genuinely go over and develop and learn from Garry Ringrose and players like Jamison Gibson-Park,” the ex-All Black said.
“If you think of the biggest developers in world rugby, they have to be right up there.
“I think he needs a lot of work in that centre position. He’s obviously a hell of a talent but it’s just understanding the game from a centre’s point of view, and from a different perspective – maybe looking at how the Irish centres do it.
“That decision to go there is solely focused on developing and playing against the best sides, and playing a different brand of rugby.”
There is also a theory that Ioane wants to change position and revert to wing, which is something Dagg can also see happening when he arrives at Leinster.
“It’s going to be tough over there, playing in conditions that don’t suit an outside back or a player that wants to play with ball in hand. You’ve got to earn your keep and run up the guts,” he added.
“Maybe he wants a change of position. I see him going over there and being a centre but what’s to say not, and he goes over there and plays on the outside and has a crack elsewhere, without that pressure of everyone scrutinising him in that centre position.
“You’re going to have plenty of high ball, you’re going to have to do the core roles well for an outside back, and that could be the case for Rieko Ioane.”
