When Rieko Ioane was named in Ian Foster's first All Blacks squad earlier this year, he turned heads with the position he was put in - midfielder.
After years under Steve Hansen as a winger, Foster "showed a bit of faith" to Ioane and gave him the shot he craved as a midfielder but after just one Test in his preferred position, Foster opted to use him off the bench on the wing and has followed that up with a start at No.11 this week.
Foster said the position change hasn't ended Ioane's run in the midfield though.
"We know he's a quality winger, we know he's a quality centre," Foster said.
"He'll get another opportunity [in the midfield] some time - it's not like we've moved on from him at centre."
Foster said Ioane's move actually has a number of external factors to it.
"We just feel Anton Lienert-Brown has come in and played so well that with some of the other changes in the backline, we wanted to keep him there because he's probably been our form midfielder at the moment.
"In the case of Rieko, he's strong, he's fast... when he came on the wing in the third Test, he looked quick and strong and I love seeing him like that.
"We're just keeping reasonably open-minded with him about midfield and the wing but the thing about him is he's good enough to play both."
Ioane joins Sevu Reece and Jordie Barrett in the reshuffled back three while Beauden Barrett has been handed the reins at No.10 with Richie Mo'unga rested for Saturday.
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