By Jim Tucker
October 15, 2009 Digby Ioane proved his shoulder is right for an intense grand slam tour when he declared his hunger to inject some Lote Tuqiri-style firepower into the Australia backline.
Five months after major surgery, the powerful winger buried his left shoulder three times into the solid frame of forward David Pocock at Sydney training to provide himself and coach Robbie Deans with the all-clear.

"To be honest, I thought it was impossible to make this tour when I had the surgery in May so I just feel so happy that I'm ready to play," a delighted Ioane said.

"This was my first full contact session. I did everything and the medical guys got me to do the one-on-one tackling as a final test."

Ioane could have chosen flyweight James O'Connor as an easier tackle bag but happily tested himself on Pocock's muscular, weightlifter's frame.

"I wanted to really test myself and I made the tackles 100 per cent," Ioane said.

The tricky issue now is getting the match practice so Ioane can recapture his dynamic form for Queensland Reds in time to be a realistic option for the Tests on tour. Even though he missed the final two Super 14 games through injury, Ioane busted more tackles (68) and made more linebreaks (14) than any other Australian.

The November 3 tour clash against English club Gloucester will be Ioane's launch date to prove he can provide that same punch for the Wallabies in the bigger games.

"I definitely want to be pressing for the Test team," Ioane said, putting Test wingers Lachie Turner, Peter Hynes and Drew Mitchell on notice.

During Australia's failed Tri-Nations campaign, the Wallabies missed the big-bodied ability of the sacked Tuqiri and the injured Stirling Mortlock to bust tackles from nothing to give the team momentum when play stagnated. Ioane is built in a smaller frame but any back who can bench press 160kg has their power.

"I'd like to think I could fill Lote's boots in the way he used to break tackles, look for work and get the team rolling forward," Ioane said.

"Teams move on but I think there were parts of his game that the Wallabies missed this season."

Ioane and the other Queensland members of the Wallabies - Hynes, James Horwill, Quade Cooper, Richard Kingi and Will Genia - met with new Reds coach Ewen McKenzie in Sydney on Wednesday night.

Ioane will be in Brisbane to offer support at Triple M's Fia Fia Festival at Ballymore on Saturday (6pm-9.10pm) which aims to raise funds for the Samoan tsunami relief effort.



http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...016959,00.html