Rieko Ioane has taken another playful swipe at Johnny Sexton, reigniting their rivalry after the All Blacks’ victory over Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
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The New Zealand centre never misses an opportunity to keep the pot simmering.
Clash of the Titans Revisited
Their feud dates back to last October’s nail-biting World Cup quarter-final, a match that spelled the end of Sexton’s illustrious Test career. The game saw the All Blacks edge out Ireland in Paris, and tensions boiled over as Ioane and Sexton exchanged some heated words.
The Infamous Exchange
According to Sexton’s autobiography Obsessed, Ioane delivered some memorable barbs. The Irish fly-half recalled Ioane taunting him, “Don’t miss your flight home tomorrow,” and adding, “Enjoy retirement, you c***.” For a team known for its “no d********” culture, this was hardly a humble moment.
Sexton didn’t hold back either. He admitted to firing back at Ioane, calling him a “fake-humble f*****” in frustration. Reflecting on his response, Sexton confessed, “It doesn’t look great, me having a go at one of them just after we’ve lost. But I can’t be expected to ignore that.”
“Put That in the Book”
Fast forward to the All Blacks’ latest win in Dublin, and Ioane was back at it. This time, he took to social media, posting, “Put that in the book,” keeping his rivalry with Sexton alive and as fiery as ever.
Where Next for Ireland?
Andy Farrell faces tough decisions ahead of Ireland’s next match. Here are three changes he might consider to reinvigorate his side.
#1. Mack Hansen
Extra.Ie 5/10: “Connacht wing was short of match practice coming into this game, and it showed. Usually finds a way to influence things but he struggled.”
Rugby Pass 5/10: “Showed flashes of his creativity with ball in hand and had a couple of threatening runs. Worked hard defensively but not as involved as he’d have liked.”
Possible replacement: Calvin Nash, Jason Stockdale
#2. Ronan Kelleher
Extra.IE 5/10: “Always a big ask for player who had only 12 minutes under his belt coming into this game. Won’t be happy with three botched lineout throws.”
Rugby Pass 5/10: “Back from injury, Kelleher was strangely pinged for contesting the ball in a 9th-minute ruck, an infringement that saw New Zealand get their first points of the game. Ireland’s win percentage at the lineout was also sub-par, but he wasn’t totally to blame for that.”
Planet Rugby 5/10: “His first game in a month and in many ways, it showed as he was certainly rusty but did throw his weight around well on defence. The lineout lacked a bit of urgency and pace and Kelleher does need to shoulder some of the blame for the All Blacks’ two clean steals off his throws.”
Irish Examiner 5/10: “Hooker was a real issue at one point for Andy Farrell with a ton of injuries but Kelleher fought his way back and but lacked minutes (only 11 played beforehand) and the tight scrum was creaking all night. Lineout wobbled, too.”
Possible replacement: Rob Herring, Dave Heffernan
#3. Bundee Aki
Rugby Pass 3/10: “A totally off-colour performance from Aki. Opened his account with a poorly timed pass which went to the deck before inexplicably spilling a ball a few minutes later. One good run aside, the All Blacks had his number in attack, where he struggled to make a meaningful impact.”
Planet Rugby 5/10: “A few uncharacteristic errors like dropping the ball cold as he looked up at the defence rather than keeping his eye on it. Still, he was tough to bring to the ground when he carried to the line but not at his box office best.”
Possible replacement: Robbie Henshaw
Check out RUCK’s player rating for Ireland and the All Blacks.
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