Rieko Ioane's return to form could provide the All Blacks with a crucial weapon when they face the Springboks at Ellis Park on Saturday, with coach Dave Rennie acknowledging the 29-year-old has forced his way into midfield contention.
Ioane, who has 89 caps and faced the Springboks 15 times across his decade-long career, was initially viewed as wing cover for the Greatest Rivalry tour but has impressed sufficiently to be considered a starting centre option. His performances against the Stormers and Bulls — where he shifted from left wing to outside centre — have come at an opportune moment, with serious injuries to Caleb Clarke and Billy Proctor depleting Rennie's back-three resources.
"There is definitely a step up from where I was when I was last in an All Blacks jersey," Ioane said after the Bulls match in Pretoria. The former Leinster man, who did not feature during the Nations Championship, added that he had undergone a mindset change and was prepared to contribute wherever required.
Intensity set to rise sharply
Rennie, however, was quick to temper expectations following the 50-19 demolition of the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, a result that flattered the tourists against opponents three weeks into pre-season. The All Blacks coach made clear that Saturday's encounter would demand a vastly superior performance.
"We know the intensity level, the quality that we're gonna come up against next week is three, four, five-fold," Rennie said. "It was almost like we were training for the Springboks, who are coming a lot harder defensively. We've played reasonably well on tour, and we know we need to up the ante."
The Springboks have been training quietly whilst the All Blacks completed their warm-up fixtures, and Rennie acknowledged his side had benefited from acclimatising to altitude conditions at Loftus. Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee, who scored in the 72nd minute of Saturday's match, described facing the All Blacks again after a lengthy absence from Test rugby as "one for the memory bank", despite the lopsided scoreline.
Selection picture clarifies
With Josh Moorby, Leroy Carter and Fehi Fineanganofo providing wing cover, Ioane's path to a starting berth appears to lie in the midfield, where his experience against the Springboks — seven wins, one draw and seven defeats across 15 encounters — could prove valuable. His last outing against the world champions came in Auckland in 2025.
Rennie will name a side captained by Ardie Savea later this week, with the Ellis Park clash representing the first genuine test of the All Blacks' credentials on this tour. Whether Ioane's resurgence translates into a starting role, and whether the tourists can match the physical intensity Rennie anticipates, will define the opening chapter of this year's Greatest Rivalry series.