Ioane eager for action

When chatting to Digby Ioane it can be difficult to not get distracted by the ink that decorates his skin.

Nestled below his right ear the letter K is positioned above a small love heart, and further down a couple of feathers poke out above his collar. Look on the other side of his neck and there are a pair of hands clamped around some rosary beads.

This leads to his arms, both heavily tattooed - as are sections of his ribcage. On his back rest a set of angels' wings, hanging down almost as far as his hips.

Some folks who walk a conservative path might wonder if that means Ioane is something of a wildman who is keen to let the world know that when he returns to his old haunt of Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, where he played for the Reds between 2008 and 2013, he wants to rip apart his old team.

Ioane is clever enough not to get sucked into that game.

The former Wallabies wing who played the last of his 35 tests in 2013, appears keen - in front of the microphones, anyway - to downplay the fact that his Super Rugby debut for the Crusaders will be against his old team.

You can't run away from history, however, and how many Crusaders' supporters can still remember Ioane scoring a try for the Reds in their 18-13 victory in the grand finale at Suncorp in 2011?

Ioane, 31, says much has changed since he departed Australia to earn his coin in France, Japan and New Zealand.

"There are probably four (old team-mates at the Reds) left from the past," he said. "It is just like a normal game. I am just keen to go out with the boys and just, you know, have that excitement and play good footy."

Ioane has kept in contact with old Wallabies and Reds team-mates Will Genia and Quade Cooper, both key architects of the travel-weary Crusaders' downfall in the 2011 final, but said the changes in the side meant there few familiar faces in the current Queensland squad.

Having proved he is over the hip problem he picked-up in the Brisbane Global Tens last month, Ioane has been listed on the left wing ahead of George Bridge. Seta Tamanivalu, who scored the match winner against in the 30-27 victory over the Highlanders last weekend, shifts back to the right wing and Israel Dagg returns to fullback.

"We signed Diggers so he could create opportunities, score tries and give us that little bit of X-factor that you need in wingers," Crusaders coach Scott Robertson said. "For him I can imagine it is a little bit emotional (playing the Reds), but he is also pretty keen to get the job done and be professional."

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has already stated he has been largely unimpressed by the performances from the Aussie Super Rugby teams, and if Ioane could knit together a string of impressive games for the Crusaders you would wonder whether it would encourage the national boss to lift the phone for a chat.

Ioane said he isn't going out to make light-bulbs go off inside Cheika's brain.

"No, not really. My main focus is to play good footy for the Crusaders. That is why I am here. I am not looking towards Australia. I just want to be here. You know no regrets."

 

 

Photo: Getty Images (Former Wallabies wing Digby Ioane got an early sighter on the Reds when he played against them in the Brisbane Global Tens last month).