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Ioane stars as Blues thump Rebels in Super Rugby opener

(Photo by Getty Images)

Rieko Ioane scored a hat-trick as Blues started the Super Rugby season in style with a seven-try 56-18 rout of Rebels in Melbourne on Thursday.

Tana Umaga was unable to call on the likes of Jerome Kaino, James Parsons and Sonny Bill Williams at AAMI Park due to injury, but watched his side rack up their biggest points tally in the competition for seven years.

Teenage centre Ioane gave another devastating display of his potential, intercepting to go over just before half-time and touching down twice after the break on a miserable evening for Rebels – who were also missing key men due to injury.

A youthful Rebels team led 12-8 midway through the first half following tries from captain Nic Stirzaker and new signing Jackson Garden-Bachop, but the side from Auckland hit back with scores from Pauliasi Manu, Matt Duffie and Iaone to lead 25-15 at the break.

Umaga’s side ran away with it in the second half, with Augustine Pulu bursting through for a debut try before the rapid Ioane – who made his New Zealand debut against Italy in November – darted down the left for a superb second.

Melani Nanai raced onto a clever kick from Ihaia West to add another five-pointer and Ioane was gifted a treble by his brother, Akira, before West took his tally with the boot to 18 points as Blues laid down a marker.

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Nickers 17 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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