Blues 2023
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Akira Ioane ready to resume All Blacks bid
Akira Ioane will make his return from a knee injury this weekend.
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.”
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.”
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Zarn Sullivan is your guys’ 12 long term
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The Blues have missed out on securing the services of former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie for next year's Super Rugby Pacific season.
With Leon MacDonald expected to join All Blacks coach Scott Robertson's backroom staff, Newshub understands the Blues made a play at Rennie.
But despite a lucrative offer, Rennie turned the role down with a life away from the New Zealand spotlight a bigger drawcard for the two-time Super Rugby winner.
The former Chiefs coach is being linked with a move to Japanese club Kobe, where former Black Ferns director of rugby Wayne Smith is a mentor.
More to come
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@Stargazer Alex Chapman said that the Blues came very close to getting this across the line, so probably a late change of heart from Rennie.
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Strange that the article doesn't mention Coventry? It doesn't say that he's leaving and it doesn't mention him as a possible head coach. Maybe he's ready to retire from SR?
I'm sure others will disagree but I'd take Pivac. Getting chewed up and spat out by Wales doesn't mean anything.. it puts him at the same level as Hansen
A foundation Harbour player, coached Northland, Harbour & Auckland (twice). I doubt anyone knows the region better. He also should've gotten the Blues job about 4 or 5 times previously.. so I presume he has some enemies
He just turned down Newcastle and earlier this year made noises about returning to NZ
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@Stargazer I think two years might have been mentioned at the time, though am unsure. Didn't see anything last year though.
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@Tim said in Blues 2023:
@Stargazer I think two years might have been mentioned at the time, though am unsure. Didn't see anything last year though.
No, it didn't.
Young Guns Sign for 2022 — Blues Rugby
While the Blues boast a bevy of men in Black, they are investing significantly in developing tomorrow’s stars. Props aside, the Blues could muster an exciting team of players just 23 years and younger from their squad for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific competition.
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