Ioane credits Leinster sabbatical for reigniting All Blacks career under Rennie

Rieko Ioane says his season-long stint at Leinster has revived his All Blacks career, with the 29-year-old centre describing his return to the national setup under Dave Rennie as feeling like a first call-up all over again. The 89-Test back, who was frequently overlooked under former head coach Scott Robertson, credits the time away from New Zealand Rugby for restoring the hunger and edge that had begun to fade.

“Everything felt new, and there was a freshness and excitement to the way that, firstly, the boys in Super Rugby were playing, and then how they were playing in the All Blacks,” Ioane told Millsy & Guy on Sport Nation NZ. He likened the sensation to his Test debut in 2016 against Italy in Rome, admitting he had grown “a bit comfortable” in the environment before his sabbatical.

“Those were the feelings of debuting again and just that excitement feel really. I was a bit on edge and a bit weary. Whereas I might have been a bit comfortable before.”

Ioane missed initial selection for the All Blacks’ three-Test July Nations Championship window but forced his way into Rennie’s extended 44-man squad for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour against South Africa. A series of strong midweek performances against South African provincial sides — marked by the blistering pace he appears to have rediscovered — convinced the coaching staff to bring him into the fold ahead of the Bledisloe Cup.

The versatile outside back also highlighted the influence of new attack coach Mike Blair, who joined the All Blacks setup for the first time in 2026 alongside most of the current backs group.

“He’s a very big voice in this team, and he just sees the game a bit differently to how, for example, I’d see an attacking shape on the field,” Ioane said. “He wants to bring out the natural skill sets that we have as athletes in this team, and combine that with a bit of structure. It makes for such a promising future for this team.”

Ioane’s URC experience at Leinster — one of European rugby’s most tactically sophisticated environments — appears to have broadened his attacking toolkit at precisely the moment Rennie and Blair are looking to inject flair into the All Blacks’ backline.