All Blacks coach Ian Foster asserts Rieko Ioane is still an option in his midfield stocks, despite selecting the versatile back in the No.11 jersey for Sunday's third Bledisloe Cup test against Australia.
After making his name as a winger, Ioane, 24, has been vocal about his desire to play at centre and has been afforded that chance regularly since Foster took over from Sir Steve Hansen as All Blacks coach.
In 2021, Ioane shone at centre for the Blues, helping the Auckland side to its first Super Rugby title since 2003, winning the inaugural Trans-Tasman trophy.
But outstanding performances by David Havili for the Crusaders and now the All Blacks have created a midfield logjam for Foster and his selectors, with Ioane forced out wide, as one of the changes to the starting side for Sunday's test in Perth.
On paper, Ioane is now competing with Havili, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, Braydon Ennor and Quinn Tupaea for a spot in the All Blacks midfield, and for now, he will have to make do on the wing, with Havili and Lienert-Brown given the nod against the Wallabies at Optus Stadium.
And while Foster makes it clear Ioane's spot in the outside backs is warranted, the door is by no means shut on his chances of wearing the No.13 jersey in the future.
"He's playing well," Foster says. "He's replacing a guy who's also playing well in Sevu [Reece], but I think Rieko is on top of his game.
"He's confident - I like his growth at both centre and wing.
"I guess we've always seen him as a wing that wants to play centre and that's starting to even out a little bit, because of his growth at centre.
"We're delighted with that. I've got no doubt that he will go back into centre at some point, but right now, his confidence is high, he's running fast, and I'm just enjoying work rate and his contributions off the park.
"He's in a good spot."
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