In a performance which will delight Kirwan, and perhaps even give Hansen something to think about, the 19-year-old Ioane carried on where he left off against the Crusaders in Christchurch last week.
When the Blues needed someone to follow, the big No6 did what he does best and that's carry the ball. He has the pace to go around players, which he showed by skinning All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw at AMI Stadium, but it is in contact where he is truly impressive.
He resembles a sedan when cruising into the rough stuff before switching to four-wheel-drive truck mode and emerging out the other side with a mere push of the accelerator. He will become even more effective once his teammates begin to understand the lines the youngster runs and position themselves for his offloads.
His try in the second half when he received the ball on halfway, made space for himself with a head fake and sped through the defence, outstripping wing Nick Cummins and going over in the tackle of fullback Dane Haylett Petty was a thing of beauty.
He is one success story for the Blues this season - a diamond among the dross. It's a pity the injuries to the Blues' star men took the shine off a little.
