Akira Ioane ready to resume All Blacks bid after being ‘put through the hurt locker’ in recovery from knee injury

Akira Ioane returns for the Blues this weekend. Photo / Photosport

Akira Ioane is looking at the big picture.

Just 30 minutes into the Super Rugby Pacific season, the Blues and All Blacks loose forward’s 2023 outlook was thrown well off course when he was forced from the field with a knee injury during his side’s opening-round win over the Highlanders.

Any hopes for starting the World Cup year off with a bang quickly turned into a slow, quiet fizzle as he was diagnosed with a medial ligament injury and faced weeks on the sidelines.

Initially, the Blues were hopeful he would be able to return by round six. However, the 27-year-old will be making his return for this weekend’s round nine clash against the Waratahs at Eden Park.

Ioane has been one of several All Blacks to sustain significant injuries during the Super Rugby Pacific season and, speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Elliott Smith, he noted he had been able to gain some perspective through the severity – or lack thereof – of his injury.

“I was gutted with what happened, but big picture, there’s still a lot of games left to play and some boys are out for nine months like Sevu [Reece],” Ioane said. “I’m just grateful and lucky that it was my MCL and not an ACL or something like that.”

“They’ve put me through the hurt locker over the last couple of weeks just trying to get back to where I was or better. It’s been going well, the knee’s all good and I’ve been enjoying getting back out there with the boys in training.”

The 27-year-old will be seeking to impress throughout the remainder of the Super Rugby Pacific season in a highly competitive loose forward mix that includes Shannon Frizell, Ethan Blackadder, Blues teammate Hoskins Sotutu and Luke Jacobson among others.

Ioane featured in two of four northern tour tests last November, starting against Scotland and coming off the bench in Cardiff, however the All Blacks finished the year preferring Frizell and Scott Barrett in the blindside role.

He will return from the bench against the Waratahs at Eden Park on Saturday night as he works his way back from the injury.

The Waratahs have historically struggled when visiting the Blues, with their last win in Auckland coming in 2009. Ioane won’t be the only Blues player making a return from injury for the match, with Bryce Heem also set to get back into the action from the bench for his first involvement since limping off after 50 minutes in the side’s fifth-round match against the Western Force.

Ioane’s return is timely, as coach Leon MacDonald has taken the opportunity to give Dalton Papali’i an extra week off following the bye to allow more time for a niggling rib injury to heal.

“Dalts has battled away with a rib injury right through that first half of the season,” MacDonald said.

“He’s been playing week to week in a bit of discomfort, so to block off two weeks without doing any contact is really going to help that settle down well and hopefully mean he won’t have to manage it weekly and get him through to that second half of the season pain-free.”

Blues: Stephen Perofeta, Mark Telea, Rieko Ioane, Harry Plummer, Caleb Clarke, Beauden Barrett, Finlay Christie, Hoskins Sotutu, Adrian Choat, Anton Segner, Sam Darry, Patrick Tuipulotu (c), Nepo Laulala, Ricky Riccitelli, Ofa Tuungafasi.

Reserves: Soane Vikena, Jordan Lay, James Lay, Cameron Suafoa, Akira Ioane, Sam Nock, Bryce Heem, Zarn Sullivan.