Dave Rennie has turned to a familiar face to plug a growing hole in his back three, recalling Rieko Ioane to the All Blacks squad as injuries thin out the wings ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship Test against Ireland at Eden Park.
The 88-cap Ioane, who spent part of the season on a sabbatical with Leinster and helped the Irish province to a United Rugby Championship title, was left out of Rennie's first squad last month. His recall is born of necessity rather than a change of heart: left wing Leroy Carter was forced off against Italy and Fehi Fineanganofo is nursing a shoulder problem, while Scott Barrett remains sidelined after back surgery.
"It's just to give us a bit of outside-back cover," Rennie said of the call-up. The coach was quick to frame the selection headache as a good one. "There's a lot of competition for places," he said. "It's a healthy problem to have."
Ioane's timing could hardly be better given the opponent. Fresh from a season inside the Leinster dressing room, he arrives with first-hand knowledge of several Ireland players, intelligence Rennie is happy to tap into. "A lot of our guys have played the Irish a lot. They know a lot about them," he said. "The Irish have commanded a lot of respect through what they've achieved. We know what's coming."
Rennie also spelled out the balance he wants at Eden Park, where New Zealand have not lost since 1994, a run of 52 straight wins. "It's got to be balanced. Ireland are a very good defensive side," he said. "We probably overplayed in that first bracket, ended up turning it over and got punished." On the kicking game he added: "If it's on, we're going to play. We just need a little bit of balance and ideally, we're kicking on the front foot."
The recall lands amid a wider debate over Rennie's selection philosophy, particularly his fondness for utility forwards. On Sky Sport's The Breakdown, former All Black Justin Marshall took aim at the loose-forward mix that started against Italy. "I want to see a genuine out-and-out No.8. Ardie is not that. He's a hybrid," Marshall said, pointing to Savea's workload. "In the first two Test matches this year, he has not come off the back of a scrum once. Not one carry off the back."
Not everyone on the panel agreed. Former All Blacks winger Jeff Wilson read the same selections as deliberate, with one eye on the looming tour of South Africa. "I think it's just a specific tactic to take on South Africa and I like it," Wilson said. "We've also got to explore the 6-2 bench at some point as well."
Rennie, meanwhile, has settled his leadership structure after Will Jordan captained the side in the closing stages against Italy. "I don't really have a vice captain. We have a captain, and then we've got five other leaders," the coach explained, naming Jordan alongside skipper Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson, Jordie Barrett, Codie Taylor and Cameron Roigard. Jordan, who became the All Blacks' all-time leading try-scorer with his 50th against Italy, only wore the armband late because "we subbed all the other leaders off," Rennie said. "Will was the last man standing."
The match 23 to face Ireland will be named on Thursday.
