Rieko Ioane has been handed an unexpected All Blacks recall after injuries forced coach Dave Rennie to bolster his outside-back stocks.
The All Blacks face another tough assignment this weekend – this time Ireland in a Nations Championship showdown at Eden Park.
The experienced back has joined the squad in Auckland after left wing Leroy Carter picked up an injury in last weekend’s win over Italy in Wellington.
Carter was forced off during the match and looks doubtful for the clash against the Irish, while fellow wing Fehi Fineanganofo is also battling a shoulder injury.
Ioane’s return comes just weeks after his omission from Rennie’s first All Blacks squad of the year sparked widespread debate. The veteran, who spent part of the season on sabbatical with Irish giants Leinster, had been tipped to return later in the campaign.
“It’s just to give us a bit of outside-back cover,” Rennie explained.
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The All Blacks coach stopped short of confirming whether Ioane would feature against Ireland, with New Zealand set to name their match 23 on Thursday.
Rennie did, however, provide positive news on the injury front elsewhere.
Loose forward Luke Jacobson, who was replaced at half-time against Italy, and lock Patrick Tuipulotu, who withdrew before the France Test with calf tightness, are both expected to be available for selection.
“There’s a lot of competition for places,” Rennie said. “Based on performances over the last couple of weeks, we’ll make some calls around that.
“There will be some really unlucky people missing out because guys have fronted pretty well for us, but the competition is tight.
“It’s a healthy problem to have.”
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There was less encouraging news for former captain Scott Barrett, with Rennie confirming the lock will not recover from back surgery in time for next month’s tour to South Africa.
Barrett missed the entire Super Rugby Pacific season after undergoing surgery and has now officially been ruled out of the trip.
There was better news regarding young lock Fabian Holland, who is recovering well from a shoulder injury. Rennie said Holland is expected to return for Otago in the NPC before pushing for All Blacks selection for the South African tour.
“It will just be nice for him to get some game time for Otago and then hopefully be available,” Rennie said.
Photo: Hannah Peters/Getty Images
The post Rennie throws Rieko a lifeline appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Rieko Ioane has been handed an unexpected All Blacks recall after injuries forced coach Dave Rennie to bolster his outside-back stocks.
The post Rennie throws Rieko a lifeline appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
