Chiefs continue impressive Super Rugby pre-season; Rieko Ioane denies Japan exodus report

Blues and All Blacks midfielder Rieko Ioane has denied reports out of Australia that he is set to join the overseas exodus of New Zealand internationals and head to Japan following the World Cup in France.

Ioane, speaking after the Blues wrapped up their pre-season with a 47-33 defeat to the Chiefs on Friday night in Pukekohe, said a report that he had signed with the Ricoh Black Rams on Australian website The Roar was “news to me”.

“I haven’t seen anything – that’s news to me,” said the 59-test 25-year-old who has nailed down the spot as the All Blacks’ first-choice centre. “Was that before we got on the bus?

“Nah, thats news to me.”

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The Roar reported that Ioane was set to join fellow All Blacks Richie Mo’unga, Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith as well as forwards Ardie Savea, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock and Shannon Frizell in heading to Japan after this year’s World Cup.

It’s a possibility, even a likelihood, that Ioane would be looking at an offshore venture, but at his age and stage of his career, that’s more likely to be of the short-term variety.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs are charging ahead of next weekend’s opening round of the Super Rugby Pacific season, even though Clayton McMillan was doing his best in Pukekohe on Friday to dampen expectations.

McMillan’s men wrapped up their pre-season at Navigation Homes Stadium on a sunny Friday eveningwith an impressive victory over the Blues, that followed last week’s 48-7 dismantling of Moana Pasifika.

Sure, it’s just the pre-season, and there are a lot of players being used through these warmup affairs, but it has nonetheless been an eye-catching lead-in from the men from Hamilton.

They benefited from a more strategic use of their heavyweight resources, and finished over the top of Leon MacDonald’s men to run in seven tries to five for the sort of performance that suggests they loom as legitimate challengers to title favourites the Crusaders and Blues this year.

Both teams would have gained plenty from a free-flowing affair played in perfect conditions in front of 3100 fans in south Auckland, but there was no doubting that McMillan has himself a nice mixture of force up front and strikepower out wide, and that the sight of Damian McKenzie back running amok is a cheering one indeed.

Last year’s big All Blacks mover Samison Taukei’aho bagged a brace of tries for the Chiefs, in trademark hard-charging fashion, McKenzie impressed as he flitted between first five and fullback and Shaun Stevenson (also with two scores) and Etene Nanai-Seturo caiught the eye among the more fleet-footed types.

The Blues got a solid opening half-hour from their No 1 lineup, with Stephen Perofeta and Cam Suafoa standing out, but were outginned as the match opened up over the back half.

“A bit of good with the bad,” ewas McMillan’s summation. “That first 30 was pretty dusty – 30% possession, 30% territory, you just cant survive against quality teams with those numbers. Our set piece was a bit dusty, and that’s an area we pride ourselves on. We’ll have to take some learnings from that and improve pretty quickly.

“But we scored some nice tries, and at times some of the stuff we’ve been working on round our phase play and carry-clean game looked quite good. If we can build on the good things and tidy up the not-so-good things then it should be positive.”

McMillan also noted the different ways the two teams used their All Blacks fireppower.

“The Blues probably put out their strongest team in the first 40 minutes and we had two teams that were a little bit of a mixture. Our big dogs rolled up their sleeves and did some good stuff. Everyone looked like they were blowing which these new rules are designed to do – keep the ball in play and make it more of a spectacle, which we saw today.”

Blues assistant coach Daniel Halangahu said they had been pleased with the ear;y work from their top lineup.

”It would have been good see them all banging heads,” he said of the respective All Blacks. “We know that time will come. It was about combinations for us, and we got some really good combinations going early on. They put a lot of pressure on us in that second and third period, so there’s a fair bit of wrk for us to do as well.

Both coaches reported they had come through mostlyunscathed on the injury front.

The Blues led 12-7 at the end of the first half-hour block, with tries to Caleb Clarke (from a 45-metre dash off kicked ball) and fullback Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens answered by a late opportunist effort from Chiefs wing, and local hero, Peniasi Malimali.

The two northern rivals then swapped tries early in the second 30-minute period, Fin Christie scurrying over for the Blues and replacement loosie Simon Parker answering for the Chiefs, before Leon MacDonald removed the bulk of his All Blacks at the 40-minute mark, with the 19-14 lead.

Notably, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Patrick Tuipulotu were the lone internationals to stay on for extra duty after they had both kicked off their pre-season a week earlier.

But as the Chiefs big guns entered the fray in the second half-hour period, with McKenzie, Brodie Retallick, Taukei’aho, Tupou Vaa’i and Brad Weber among the reinforcements, McMillan’s side took a grip on the game.

Taukei’aho crossed for a bracre of power scores and Stevnson cruised on to Daniel Rona’s well-weighted grubber and by the end of the second period the Chiefs were out to 35-26, with a 28-14 second half-hour.

Nanai-Seturo and Stevenson completed the scoring for the home side in the final period, with Zarn Sullivan getting on the board for the Blues.

Chiefs 47 (Peniasi Malimali, Simon Parker, Samisoni Taukei’aho 2, Shaun Stevenson 2, Etene Nanai-Seturo tries; Bryn Gatland con; Josh Ioane con; Damian McKenzie 3 cons),.Blues 33 (Caleb Clarke, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Finlay Christie, Soane Vikena, Zarn Sullivan tries; Stephen Perofeta 2 cons; Sullivan 2 cons). 1st: 7-12; 2nd: 35-26.