Ioane out to make an impact

• 30 Oct 2020

“You’ve put me on the spot there!”

TJ Ioane
laughs when he’s asked to describe his own playing style, as the Samoan looks
to become the latest man from the Pacific Island to endear himself to the
Warrior Nation.

After his
signing on a season-long loan deal from London Irish was greeted with much
enthusiasm by Glasgow fans far and wide, the 31-year-old made his club debut
against the Ospreys last weekend – something that was a source of immense pride
to the tough-tackling back-rower.

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“It was
awesome to make my debut,” Ioane told glasgowwarriors.org.

“I was so
grateful for the opportunity – it was probably the first match I’d played in
about two months.

“Obviously
it was a bit gutting not to come away with the win, but it was great to get the
first one out the way.”

Saturday’s
trip to Swansea also marked a reunion of sorts for Ioane, as the Samoan played
alongside a former team-mate for the first time in nearly a decade. It’s the
latest step in a Warriors experience Ioane is thoroughly enjoying, as he throws
himself into life at Scotstoun.

“I played
with Aki [Seiuli] about eight years ago for Otago,” explained Ioane.

“He came out
the academy and went straight into the first team! We played together for three
years, then I left just before the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

“It’s funny,
we were talking about this the other day; rugby has a funny way of bringing
people back together again!

“I’ve
settled in really well – I knew a few other boys before I arrived, so that
helped make it a smoother transition.Danny [Wilson] has seen something in me that he obviously likes, so I want to get stuck in and
repay the faith shown in me.

“Adapting to
the cold has been the hardest thing!”

A first home
appearance is now firmly on the radar for Ioane, as the Warriors welcome
Leinster to Scotstoun for a first-ever Monday night Guinness PRO14 clash.
Having got some game-time in his legs at the Liberty Stadium, Ioane is ready to
pit himself against the defending champions should he be selected by Wilson and
the coaching staff.

“It was good
to get the rustiness out the system against the Ospreys,” admitted the Samoan.

“We had a
lot of good players out there and we showed what we can do in that first
half-hour, we just let ourselves down in the second half. We didn’t execute
well enough, and we know we had the talent to do the job. We’ve been working on
those parts of the game that weren’t good enough, though, and we’ll hopefully
be stronger when Leinster arrive on Monday.

“Coming from
the English Premiership, we don’t really get time to watch games from other
leagues to be honest. Even then, though, you know that Leinster are one of the
top teams in Europe and have an incredible depth in their back-row and across
the pitch.

“It’s going
to be a great opportunity to test myself against that talent if I’m selected,
and I’m pushing hard to try and stay in the 23 this week.”

And as for
what the Warrior Nation can expect from Ioane in a Glasgow shirt this season?
His answer to the question is simple.

“I want to
contribute as much as I can to this team,” said Ioane.

“I try to
bring the energy and contribute wherever I can in attack or defence. Hopefully
the fans watching at home like it and I’ll give 100% every time I’m picked.”