Ioane's RWC2023 actions typified unease about modern All Blacks - One F in Foley (2025)

That the iconic All Black centre, part rugby royalty, part enfant terrible, all pace and try-scoring machine, would have his head turned by the Dublin-based club tells its own story.

This prince-of-the-line hasn't signed for the dosh, Leinster will pay circa €175k for his six months although European/URC winning bonuses could add €40k; he could have doubled that in Japan.

It's not for the weather either as he arrives in December, that the streets are paved with gold or the Liffey flows with honey.

And certainly not on the back of a BBQ invite at the Sexton household as the former Ireland captain, out-half and national hero, very publicly called him a 'fake humblef****r' in his 2024 autobiography 'Obsessed'.

This came from an incident at the end the RWC 2023 quarter-final in Paris, Sexton's last match as a professional, at which had Ireland had been defeated and of which the Ireland player wrote:

"After [referee Wayne] Barnes blows the final whistle, he [Ioane] says 'don’t miss your flight tomorrow. Enjoy your retirement, you c***.' So much for the All Blacks’ famous “no d***heads” policy.

"So much for their humility. I walk after Ioane and call him a fake-humblef****r.

“It doesn’t look great, me having a go after we’ve lost but I can’t be expected to ignore that.”

Clearly, the reason Ioane wants to play with Leinster is that their reputation is now so established worldwide.

The Blues have the Springboks RWC 2023 winning coach Jacques Nienaber, RWC 2023 winner RG Snyman and Ioane's own All Black centre teammate Jordie Barrett.

Just how he will face down his reputation as a fakehumblef***ker will be interesting and I wouldn't rule a pre-emptive Late, Late Show strike which has the host and the player (and maybe even Johnny - don't do it Johnny) gurning, giggling hilariously and playing it down...

A brewing company brought Brian O'Driscoll and Tana Umaga together in 2018 for a great rapprochement and to bury the hatchet over the infamous 2015 All Black-Lions spear tackle.

And they shook hands in the (holy, revered, iconic) snug in Toners Bar on Baggot Street in Dublin and the pics and so on are out the back still, a shrine to sportsmanship.

But Umaga was a Baron de Coubertin medal winner for an outstanding act of gallantry on a pitch (stopping playing to save a life) and aside from Jonah Lomu, is maybe the most respected/loved All Black of the professional era.

Ioane's shameful behaviour in Pairs at the World Cup was only fully revealed by Sexton 's book quite a time later although those at the game, me included, knew there was something very wrong going on at the time - it was just the words 'c**t', 'dickh**d' and 'fake humblef***er' hadn't made it public yet.

But it was an incident that has reinforced a growing sense of unease about the modern All Blacks, that they are more and more a chi-chi, smart-alec group with increasingly crass behaviour.

Reinforced on a Stade de France night by Ireland's pre-game dignity in facing the blood-thirsty haka wardance with a reprise of the 'Axel 8' configuration, their tribute to a fallen colleague.

Leinster fans, Irish sports fans, have welcomed and loved Jacques Nienaber despite his now funny blunder in telling the media Leinster wouldn't be able to defend properly for 14 games.

Those who have met RG Snyman have marvelled at his politeness as well his play while the roar that greeted Barrett first-half defensive mop-up, race out and clearance shows his popularity, the awe in which is held