'It's going to be intense,' Willie Ioane said. Photo / File
Memo to Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby prop Willie Ioane's 11-month-old son Kenzo.
If Dad hasn't been paying as much attention as normal during your jam sessions with the guitar this week it's for a good reason. Ioane, 23, will make his first ITM Cup appearance of the season for the Magpies tonight when they take on Taranaki in a fifth round crossover clash at New Plymouth's Yarrow Stadium.
"It's a big game for me especially and I've been training hard out. I was hoping I would get this game ... it's going to be intense, exciting and nerve-racking against some of my old rugby mates," Ioane said.
The former New Zealand under-20 representative is also a former Taranaki representative and played the last two of his five first class appearances for the amber and blacks last year. Adding to the intensity of the game is the fact he will be propping against good mate Sione Lea.
"Sione's partner and my partner are also close friends. It's going to be a battle," he said.
A keen musician, Ioane enjoys playing the guitar and allowing Kenzo (the Japanese word for Warrior) to have some strums when he is looking after him between training sessions.
A two-time New Zealand Secondary Schools representative, Ioane, admitted it has been tough not making the Magpies 22 for their previous four matches.
"I've been a bit gutted but like the rest of the boys I've brought into the team before self philosophy. I've been doing my stuff off the field and training hard with Dearnsey [Magpies fitness trainer Grant Dearns] every day. I'm pretty happy to get the opportunity and I know I have to make the most of it," Ioane, who replaces Max Lahiff at tighthead in one of 10 changes to the starting XV, said.
Ioane has had shoulder problems throughout his career and dislocated it at training eight days ago. However, the shoulder has recovered well and the Palmerston North Boys' High School product doesn't anticipate any issues with it tonight.
Magpies head coach Craig Philpott said the 10 changes to his starting XV will be a test of the squad's depth.
"We've got faith in all 34 of our players and this will be a test of that faith."
Other changes to the starting XV used in the weekend's Ranfurly Shield loss to Counties-Manukau see New Zealand Under-20s winger Penikolo Latu replace Teluasa Veainu for his first start in the Championship this season, Bronson Neera replace second five-eighth Adam Bradey for his first start, Regis Lespinas replaced injured first five-eighth Ihaia West for his first start, Chris Eaton replace halfback Alby Mathewson, Karl Lowe replace Brendon O'Connor at openside flanker, Trent Boswell-Wakefield replace captain Mike Coman at blindside flanker, Johan Schoonbee and Tom Parsons replace regular starting locks Mark Abbott and Michael Allardice and Adrian Barone replace prop Brendon Edmonds.
Lowe will captain the Magpies in the absence of Coman who has a mild case of concussion but is aiming to return for Sunday's sixth round clash against Northland at Napier's McLean Park.
Changes to the subs bench see hooker Jesse MacDonald replace Ged Robinson, Edmonds replace Barone, Allardice replace Boswell-Wakefield, Tony Lamborn replace Lowe, Mathewson replace Eaton, Trinity Spooner-Neera replace Lespinas and Veainu replace Spooner-Neera.
A Magpies victory will be an appropriate 24th birthday present for O'Connor who gets a well deserved spell. Like Ioane, No8 Mark Atkins has an ideal opportunity to show a province where he wasn't wanted what they are missing out on.
Atkins did it against another of his former provinces, Otago, two games ago.
He has been one of the Magpies most consistent forwards this season and providing the reshuffled Magpies can play to their potential there is no reason why his roll can't continue.