SportsCatch
EN

Akira Ioane set for Manu Samoa debut against Portugal after leaving All Blacks in 2022

Akira Ioane, capped 21 times by the All Blacks, has been named on the bench for Manu Samoa's World Rugby Nations Cup clash with Portugal. The 31-year-old loose forward last played for New Zealand in November 2022 and has been based in Japan since ending his 118-cap Blues career.

2 min read
Akira Ioane set for Manu Samoa debut against Portugal after leaving All Blacks in 2022
Share

Akira Ioane is in line to make his Manu Samoa Test debut off the bench against Portugal in round five of the World Rugby Nations Cup, head coach Lemalu Tusiata Pisi confirmed in his squad announcement.

The 31-year-old brings 21 All Blacks caps and 14 All Blacks Sevens tournaments of experience to a Samoa side his father, Eddie Ioane, once represented. Ioane last wore the black jersey in November 2022 and has since been playing club rugby in Japan with the Kintetsu Liners, having ended a 118-cap career with the Blues after they lifted the Super Rugby Pacific trophy in 2024.

At 196 cm and 123 kg, the Auckland-born loose forward is a sizeable addition to a Samoa bench that also includes veteran Alamanda Motuga in what Tusiata Pisi has configured as a 6-2 split. Samuel Slade comes in at No. 19 to replace Chris Gabriel, while Ioane’s inclusion pushes Duncan Paia’aua out of the matchday squad entirely.

Portugal arrive as a stern test. They have lost just one match in the Nations Cup and carry the second-best defensive record in the competition, making this a significant step up from Samoa’s 43-7 demolition of Zimbabwe last weekend.

That comfortable victory has allowed Tusiata Pisi to name an unchanged starting XV, with all 15 starters retained. Samoa currently sit second in Pool A despite holding a superior points differential to the unbeaten USA above them — a quirk of the standings that means Tusiata Pisi’s side must win their remaining two games to have any chance of claiming the inaugural Nations Cup title.

Manu Samoa team to play Portugal

  1. Scott Sio
  2. Richie Asiata
  3. Michael Alaalatoa
  4. Benjamin Petaia Nee-Nee
  5. Theodore McFarland
  6. Miracle Faiilagi
  7. Niko Jones
  8. Abraham Papali’i
  9. Connor Tupa’i
  10. Jacob Umaga
  11. AJ Lam
  12. Peter Umaga-Jensen
  13. Lalomilo Lalomilo
  14. Latrell Ah Kiong
  15. Shaun Stevenson

Reserves: 16. Sama Malolo, 17. Aki Seiuli, 18. Tietie Tuimauga, 19. Samuel Slade, 20. Akira Ioane, 21. Alamanda Motuga, 22. Joel Lam, 23. Josh Ioane

Share
{# Sitewide native fullscreen interstitial — our own bet-CTA card blown up to a takeover (replaces the SDK overlay). The shared card animations + countdown load once, AFTER the interstitial markup, so the countdown script's first tick sees this card's node too (the in-read card, in
above, already exists). One include covers both surfaces. #}