Digby Ioane showed he takes his role as a Wallabies backline mentor seriously by offering debutant Joe Tomane his choice of wing for Tuesday night’s Test against Scotland.
Ioane is the only capped member of the Australian back-three for the Newcastle clash, but when he was starting out as a Wallaby he jovially recalls being more or less told to go and stand on the “other” wing by his seniors.
But now 27, and 21 games into his international career, the shoe is on the other foot and it’s Ioane welcoming youngsters into to the fold in his own unique way.
Reds teammate Luke Morahan will debut at fullback, and league convert Tomane will play his first Test on the right wing – by his own choosing.
Ioane says he wanted to make Tomane feel comfortable.
“I gave him the choice. I said to him, ‘do you want to play left or right?’ He said, ‘I’ll play right’ … I said, ‘oh sweet, I just thought I’d let you (choose).’
“I think back in the day … I won’t name any names … (but I was told) ‘no, go to the other wing!’
“I’m not like that, I leave it with the rookies. I want the best for them on the day.”
Ioane was a squad member watching on from the stands when Australia were left crushed by a 9-8 defeat to Scotland in Murrayfield in 2009.
That match was played in dire conditions and with rain predicted in Newcastle on Tuesday, Ioane’s main advice for exciting Brumbies-talent Tomane is to go looking for the ball.
“If it’s going to be a rainy day … you don’t want to get too wide because it’ll be pretty slippery,” he said.
“As a winger you’ve got to get more involved not just sit on your wing.
“Work around Barnesy (five-eighth Berrick Barnes) and Mike Harris. That’s where you get your inside balls a lot – we’ve done our homework.”
Ioane says having five Reds in the backline will be a major boost for Australia.
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