Oct 09,2024
Meet Josh Ioane.
You may remember him from such moments as, scoring a try 14 minutes into his Connacht debut against Munster three weeks ago.
Or perhaps you recall he was once capped by the All Blacks, good enough to line up for the Haka against Tonga in 2019 while with the Highlanders. Backing up Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo'unga is no mean feat.
Otherwise, if the name rings a bell, Ioane played against Ireland teams three times for Maori All Blacks and an All Blacks XV selection in 2022.
But here he is in Galway, enjoying life as a new father and working on his golf handicap.
As Connacht’s season came to an end last year at the RDS, and with JJ Hanrahan just a couple of months into a long-term recovery from a knee injury, the club were on the look-out for an out-half and there was speculation that one of four players from Leinster’s well-stocked reserves could go west.
Sam Prendergast, who could have linked up with brother and Connacht club captain, Cian, and Harry Byrne seemed the most likely but there was nothing doing on that front.
At the time, Pete Wilkins was non-committal but he had his eye on a 29-year-old at the Chiefs.
Ioane first caught the attention of Wilkins when the Connacht boss was on sojourn with the Ireland team on their 2022 tour of New Zealand, which included two games against the Maori.
"Previewing the Maori and then having the games to review as well, I could see what a quality player he was so when we were aware that he might be interested in a move to Europe we were pretty quick to jump on it," said Wilkins ahead of Saturday’s URC derby against Ulster in Belfast (8pm).
"He’s been on the radar for some time, it was just a matter of becoming a viable option in terms of desire to move and we’re delighted to get him."
The switch was announced in July and he signed on a one-year contract.
He’s moved halfway around the world, from Hamilton to Galway, with his partner and young daughter, there’s another baby on the way around Christmas.
"Yeah, it's nice, my family and I are settling in well," he said.
"The people here are really nice and the environment has been really good, they've welcomed us in. We're enjoying it.
"The weather has been good so I've been out with the boys for a few rounds of golf.
"I've been out with Bundee [Aki], Piers [O’Conor] and [Peter] Dooley. Galway's really nice when the weather's good.
"I always wanted to go overseas and I felt like I had been in New Zealand for eight or nine years. I felt like it was a good time for a change.
"I had a few chats with the coaches and the style of play I really liked, I felt like the people were really good, Tim [Allnutt] the manager is a Kiwi himself.
"Then meeting Pete, he's a nice guy and I felt like I was a good fit. I'm happy that I made the decision and yeah, I'm enjoying it."
Things have changed for Ioane, who in 2021 was stood down by the Highlanders after police were called to a Dunedin house party hosted by the then 25-year-old.
There had been a few too many, according to dispatches in New Zealand media, and this latest one came in the aftermath of a defeat to the Hurricanes; still, it’s far from a capital offence.
But his youthful exuberance is a subject that’s brought up and he has no issue addressing it.
"Yeah, I think about that sometimes," he says.
"My partner and I, we talk about, 'ugh, a few years ago we were doing this,' and 'a few years ago we were doing that.' Now, I barely even drink at all.
"I think becoming a father has played a big part in that. I love being a father. My daughter's one and a half now.
"I've been through a lot over the last couple of years. I lost my father last year and then I became a father two weeks later.
"And I think when you go through something like that, you're forced to grow up pretty quickly.
"So, when I look back on that I feel I've learned from that. Like I said, I've been through a lot in the last couple of years and I feel like I'm coming out the other side a lot more mature."
Wilkins added: "We’re lucky to get him at that stage and with the maturity life-wise and maturity rugby-wise that comes when you are a little bit further down the track.
"But I think what we were able to offer him was an ability to experience European rugby but in somewhere that’s really easy to settle as a foreign player, not just Connacht the club, but Connacht the place in terms of the welcome you get, the support, and being that little bit smaller.
"In terms of a landing, it’s been pretty positive and hopefully he kicks on from here."
Josh Ioane, who has one New Zealand cap to his name, opens the scoring for Connacht against Munster on his debut for the province. #MUNvCON pic.twitter.com/kCBtDMjCxe
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 21, 2024
After impressing on his Connacht bow where he dovetailed seamlessly with fellow debutant half-back Ben Murphy, Ioane said it felt good to be able to hit the ground running and earn the respect of his new team quickly.
"I feel like going to a new club, new people, the most important thing is to earn your team-mates' respect," Ioane said.
"Hopefully I got it, and hopefully I can continue to do that going forward.
"I was so nervous for that game. I remember coming off the field, I was telling Ben, 'man, I was so nervous for this game'."
Withdrawn at half-time of the comeback win over Sharks after failing a head injury assessment, Ioane missed Friday’s victory over the Scarlets but is back in harness and likely to start against Ulster on Saturday.
"Yeah, it's a hard place to win in and it's a good crowd, they're quite hostile so the boys just said to enjoy it," he replied when asked if he’d got the lowdown on Ravenhill, where Connacht have won on three of their last eight visits.
"I played at Thomond Park a couple of weeks ago and that was a great experience, it was something new for me, so I'm looking forward to this weekend as well."
