Blues and All Blacks loose forward Akira Ioane is making up for lost time, playing a starring role in Friday's 71-24 victory over Melbourne Rebels.
While younger brother Rieko grabbed the headlines by scoring three of the Blues' 11 tries against the Rebels, Akira put in another impressive display in what was just his second game of the season following an injury layoff.
The 26-year-old missed the opening two months of the season with an ankle injury, but has slotted straight back into a Blues side that's now picked up 10 consecutive victories to sit top of the Super Rugby table.
In a narrow 22-18 win against Western Force, Ioane made seven runs for 22 metres, to go with 10 tackles and a crucial try in his first game of the season.
Then, in Friday's demolition of the Rebels, Ioane made nine runs for 61 metres, made six tackles and won one turnover, scored two tries and assisted another.
Ioane's last two performances came after he told Newshub that he worried he'd be able to recapture the form that saw him stake a claim for the All Blacks' No.6 jersey in 2021.
And speaking afterwards, coach Leon MacDonald hailed Ioane's display, still not at his best after that lengthy layoff.
"He obviously needs minutes, and he was able to get another good hit out," MacDonald says. "I thought his involvements were nearly double from last week.
"He's looking hungry and excited out there.
"I think everyone worked really hard. It was probably our theme of the week, how we needed to roll our sleeves up and go and work for everything.
"I thought we did that."
Younger brother Rieko also joined in the plaudits for Akira, detailing the frustration felt while sidelined as his team cemented themselves as one of the teams to watch in this year's Super Rugby Pacific competition.
"He's a player that was hungry," Rieko Ioane said.
"He missed out those first couple of games. To see the team going the way that we were while he was away just made him hungrier.
"The preparations for him [over] the last couple of weeks have been good, so hopefully he just keeps that going.
"As a squad, and the individuals in that squad, it feels like we're building nicely."
