Super Rugby Pacific: Blues suffer another injury setback

Rieko Ioane (left), Akira Ioane (centre) and Hoskins Sotutu celebrate the All Blacks retaining the Bledisloe Cup last year. Photo / Getty Images

The Blues have suffered a second injury setback before the Super Rugby Pacific season starts next week, with former All Blacks blindside Akira Ioane joining captain Patrick Tuipulotu on the sideline.

Ioane sustained a calf injury last month during training and did not feature during the Blues’ two-match pre-season tour of Japan.

While he is progressing towards a return, Ioane will miss Friday’s final pre-season hit-out against the Chiefs in Takapuna and at least the Blues’ opening regular-season game against the Fijian Dura in Whangārei on February 24.

“It’s a shame Aki has picked up a calf injury so he will be late into the competition,” Blues head coach Vern Cotter told the Herald on Thursday. “He’s knocking people around at training so he’s just about ready to come back in. He won’t be ready for round one, maybe round two but more likely round three.”

A round-three return would see Ioane miss matches against the Dura and the Super Round in Melbourne, where the Blues meet the Highlanders.

Ioane played 21 tests in the All Blacks loose forwards in the past four years - the last against Scotland in Edinburgh in 2022 - only to miss selection in Ian Foster’s World Cup squad, falling out of favour last year with the likes of Chiefs captain Luke Jacobson preferred.

The 28-year-old remains motivated to impress, though, after signing a two-year contract extension through to 2027.

While Ioane’s initial absence is a blow for the Blues, they have ample depth in their stacked loose forward ranks, with Cameron Suafoa and Anton Segner the leading candidates to replace him in the No 6 jersey and Hoskins Sotutu locking down the No 8 duties.

Tuipulotu avoided surgery on a broken jaw he suffered in Japan and is therefore targeting an earlier-than-expected return but will sit out the Blues’ first five matches, with Dalton Papali’i temporarily regaining the captaincy.