Latest news with #Ioane
Fox Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
No more second chances: Chiefs vs. Brumbies, Crusaders vs. Chiefs in the Super Rugby semis
Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Hamilton-based Chiefs are keenly aware there are no more second chances as they head in Saturday's Super Rugby semifinal against the last Australian hope, the ACT Brumbies. The Chiefs' top-seeding gave them a second chance when they were beaten 20-19 by the Blues in last weekend's qualifying playoffs, allowing them to advance to the semifinals as the top-ranked loser. The Auckland-based Blues, who were seeded sixth and had to beat the Chiefs to keep their title defense alive, scored and converted a try three minutes after the fulltime siren for a dramatic win in Hamilton. That carried them into another tough assignment, a semifinal against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday. The Chiefs had numerous chances to close out last weekend's match against the Blues. They led 19-6 in the second half and let three clear try-scoring chances slip through their fingers. 'You could say we were probably lucky to get that second chance,' Chiefs' fullback Shaun Stevenson said. 'The beauty of finishing first is that you do get a second life. 'We have to prove to ourselves that we were the best team in the comp consistently and do that for 80 minutes against the Brumbies this week.' The Brumbies will attempt to become the first Australian team in 20 attempts to win a playoff match in New Zealand. They progressed to the semifinals after a 35-28 win over the Wellington-based Hurricanes in Canberra last weekend. Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has named an unchanged match for Saturday's semifinal in Hamilton with playmaker Jack Debreczeni being retained on the bench. 'We're in a pretty good space in terms of our routine,' Larkham said. 'We've got a plan this week in terms of some of the stuff that we've been building on through the year and then some specific stuff for the Chiefs. 'We want to get the boys as fresh as possible by the end of the week and get them into the game with as much confidence as possible. Then, focus on the performance as opposed to the outcome.' Ioane fires pre-match shot Blues center Rieko Ioane once again has turned to social media to ramp up tension ahead of Friday's match in Christchurch. After beating the New South Wales Waratahs in the last round of the regular season to clinch the last place in the playoffs, Ioane posted 'you shouldn't have let us get one.' It was a reference American baseball and basketball teams which won playoff series from 3-0 down. This week, more theatrically, he posted 'should've killed me when you had the chance.' Still, the Blues have the toughest chance in the playoffs against the Crusaders who improved their post their post-season record at home to 30-0 when they beat the Queensland Reds last weekend. Blues coach Vern Cotter said his team is ready to test that record. 'Nothing lasts forever,' he said. 'They are a tough team. We know it is a tough team. One day they will lose down there in a playoff. It could be against us.' The Crusaders will be without All Blacks loosehead prop Tamaiti Williams who helped make their scrum such a dominant force against the Reds. 'That's how they accessed their game against the Reds. It was through their scrum and lineout and field position,' Cotter said. 'It could be 80 minutes, it could be longer. We're mentally preparing for a rugged sort of evening.' ___ AP rugby: recommended
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
No more second chances: Chiefs vs. Brumbies, Crusaders vs. Chiefs in the Super Rugby semis
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Hamilton-based Chiefs are keenly aware there are no more second chances as they head in Saturday's Super Rugby semifinal against the last Australian hope, the ACT Brumbies. The Chiefs' top-seeding gave them a second chance when they were beaten 20-19 by the Blues in last weekend's qualifying playoffs, allowing them to advance to the semifinals as the top-ranked loser. Advertisement The Auckland-based Blues, who were seeded sixth and had to beat the Chiefs to keep their title defense alive, scored and converted a try three minutes after the fulltime siren for a dramatic win in Hamilton. That carried them into another tough assignment, a semifinal against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday. The Chiefs had numerous chances to close out last weekend's match against the Blues. They led 19-6 in the second half and let three clear try-scoring chances slip through their fingers. 'You could say we were probably lucky to get that second chance,' Chiefs' fullback Shaun Stevenson said. 'The beauty of finishing first is that you do get a second life. 'We have to prove to ourselves that we were the best team in the comp consistently and do that for 80 minutes against the Brumbies this week.' Advertisement The Brumbies will attempt to become the first Australian team in 20 attempts to win a playoff match in New Zealand. They progressed to the semifinals after a 35-28 win over the Wellington-based Hurricanes in Canberra last weekend. Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has named an unchanged match for Saturday's semifinal in Hamilton with playmaker Jack Debreczeni being retained on the bench. 'We're in a pretty good space in terms of our routine,' Larkham said. 'We've got a plan this week in terms of some of the stuff that we've been building on through the year and then some specific stuff for the Chiefs. 'We want to get the boys as fresh as possible by the end of the week and get them into the game with as much confidence as possible. Then, focus on the performance as opposed to the outcome.' Advertisement Ioane fires pre-match shot Blues center Rieko Ioane once again has turned to social media to ramp up tension ahead of Friday's match in Christchurch. After beating the New South Wales Waratahs in the last round of the regular season to clinch the last place in the playoffs, Ioane posted 'you shouldn't have let us get one.' It was a reference American baseball and basketball teams which won playoff series from 3-0 down. This week, more theatrically, he posted 'should've killed me when you had the chance.' Still, the Blues have the toughest chance in the playoffs against the Crusaders who improved their post their post-season record at home to 30-0 when they beat the Queensland Reds last weekend. Advertisement Blues coach Vern Cotter said his team is ready to test that record. 'Nothing lasts forever,' he said. 'They are a tough team. We know it is a tough team. One day they will lose down there in a playoff. It could be against us.' The Crusaders will be without All Blacks loosehead prop Tamaiti Williams who helped make their scrum such a dominant force against the Reds. 'That's how they accessed their game against the Reds. It was through their scrum and lineout and field position,' Cotter said. 'It could be 80 minutes, it could be longer. We're mentally preparing for a rugged sort of evening.' ___ AP rugby:
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
No more second chances: Chiefs vs. Brumbies, Crusaders vs. Chiefs in the Super Rugby semis
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Hamilton-based Chiefs are keenly aware there are no more second chances as they head in Saturday's Super Rugby semifinal against the last Australian hope, the ACT Brumbies. The Chiefs' top-seeding gave them a second chance when they were beaten 20-19 by the Blues in last weekend's qualifying playoffs, allowing them to advance to the semifinals as the top-ranked loser. The Auckland-based Blues, who were seeded sixth and had to beat the Chiefs to keep their title defense alive, scored and converted a try three minutes after the fulltime siren for a dramatic win in Hamilton. That carried them into another tough assignment, a semifinal against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday. The Chiefs had numerous chances to close out last weekend's match against the Blues. They led 19-6 in the second half and let three clear try-scoring chances slip through their fingers. 'You could say we were probably lucky to get that second chance,' Chiefs' fullback Shaun Stevenson said. 'The beauty of finishing first is that you do get a second life. 'We have to prove to ourselves that we were the best team in the comp consistently and do that for 80 minutes against the Brumbies this week.' The Brumbies will attempt to become the first Australian team in 20 attempts to win a playoff match in New Zealand. They progressed to the semifinals after a 35-28 win over the Wellington-based Hurricanes in Canberra last weekend. Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has named an unchanged match for Saturday's semifinal in Hamilton with playmaker Jack Debreczeni being retained on the bench. 'We're in a pretty good space in terms of our routine,' Larkham said. 'We've got a plan this week in terms of some of the stuff that we've been building on through the year and then some specific stuff for the Chiefs. 'We want to get the boys as fresh as possible by the end of the week and get them into the game with as much confidence as possible. Then, focus on the performance as opposed to the outcome.' Ioane fires pre-match shot Blues center Rieko Ioane once again has turned to social media to ramp up tension ahead of Friday's match in Christchurch. After beating the New South Wales Waratahs in the last round of the regular season to clinch the last place in the playoffs, Ioane posted 'you shouldn't have let us get one.' It was a reference American baseball and basketball teams which won playoff series from 3-0 down. This week, more theatrically, he posted 'should've killed me when you had the chance.' Still, the Blues have the toughest chance in the playoffs against the Crusaders who improved their post their post-season record at home to 30-0 when they beat the Queensland Reds last weekend. Blues coach Vern Cotter said his team is ready to test that record. 'Nothing lasts forever,' he said. 'They are a tough team. We know it is a tough team. One day they will lose down there in a playoff. It could be against us.' The Crusaders will be without All Blacks loosehead prop Tamaiti Williams who helped make their scrum such a dominant force against the Reds. 'That's how they accessed their game against the Reds. It was through their scrum and lineout and field position,' Cotter said. 'It could be 80 minutes, it could be longer. We're mentally preparing for a rugged sort of evening.' ___ AP rugby:
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Previewing the 2025 Season for Penn State OL Vega Ioane with his player profile
Previewing the 2025 Season for Penn State OL Vega Ioane with his player profile Going into the 2025 football season, Nittany Lions Wire will examine each player listed on the Penn State roster. Over the preseason, each profile will cover the player's background, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for James Franklin this season. Vega Ioane, a physical offensive tackle from Washington, landed at Penn State in 2022 and has steadily carved out a name for himself on the offensive line. After a breakout 2024 season that included a viral pancake block against UCLA, Ioane is ready to anchor the line in 2025. Here's a closer look at his journey and what lies ahead. Preseason Player Profile Hometown: Graham, Washington Height: 6-4 Weight: 334 lb Class in 2025: Redshirt junior Recruiting Rankings Class of 2024: Consensus 3-star, No. 26 interior offensive lineman per 247Sports Ioane originally committed to the in-state Washington Huskies but opted to flip to the Nittany Lions after receiving an offer and taking an official visit. Depth Chart Overview Ioane redshirted in 2022 after playing in four games, then took a big step forward in 2023 with five starts at left guard across 13 appearances, earning All-Big Ten honorable mentio. Last season, he started all 16 games at left guard, and he'll likely retain the role in 2025.
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Rieko Ioane warned by Kiwi legends over ‘arrogant' Leinster comments after Johnny Sexton World Cup clash
JORDIE BARRETT might be on his way out of Leinster, but the province won't be short on All Blacks flair next season. That's due to the imminent arrival of Rieko Ioane, who is the latest All Black ace Advertisement 2 Jonathan Sexton and Rieko Ioane of New Zealand clash after the World Cup semi-final in 2023 2 New Zealand legend Israel Dagg says Rieko Ioane will need to do his talking on the pitch when he joins Leinster He is the second All Black to take his sabbatical - the NZRU allow players to take a season abroad before returning to the international fold - with Leinster after during this campaign. The New Zealander famously clashed with Earlier this week, Ioane broke his silence on the move to He said: "By all my friends' accounts, it's about 50/50 at the moment, so we'll try and get that 60/40 in my favour. The reception will be awesome, I can't wait to get over there. Advertisement read more on rugby "Fans will be fans, I'm no stranger to a bit of this. Rugby needs more of this, I love this side of the game. We'll have to wait and see when I'm over there." Butt New Zealand legend Israel Dagg and Scotty Stevenson issued a warning to the Auckland Blues back ahead of his On their He said: "More niggle… why? How about rugby needs a better left to right pass. Advertisement Most read in Rugby Union "Focus on this, your left to right pass. Focus on that before you start saying, 'Let's all have a fight.' Rugby does not need that, does it?" Dagg wasn't as scathing but made it clear Ioane has to let his rugby do the talking next season in the URC and Champions Cup. Irish province confirm ex-All Black signing at pivotal position prompting fans to predict 'we're back' - He added: "We're all pretty same, same. You see it when we get an interview on the show, you get the same answers." "Actually, a part of me loves it but, in saying that, you have to walk the talk. If you're going to come out and show some confidence – some may say arrogance – you have to go out there and perform." Advertisement "If that was me knowing what had gone on in that World Cup, there is no chance I'm going to Ireland, so you have to really sit back and commend him and go, 'he is ballsy'. I thought it was April Fool's when that happened." Ioane's form with the Blues this year has been patchy, and both Dagg and Stevenson made it clear he'll need to hit the ground running to make an impact in blue. Dagg, while calling Ioane's comments 'arrogant' - admits there's something about Ioane's self-belief he admires. He concluded: "Rieko's got a whole lot to focus on with his on-field performance.... he's still got a lot to address on the field." Advertisement "But a part of me loves this kind of arrogance and the way that he carries himself. "I don't know if he does it intentionally, but he does it and then he's got to go out there and front it, and he doesn't shy away from that."
