Ioane boost for Wallabies at Rugby World Cup

Winger Digby Ioane is poised to make a dramatic comeback to the Wallabies for their World Cup quarter-final this weekend with South Africa just a month after fracturing his thumb. Ioane, who suffered the injury in the opening Pool C against Italy at North Harbour on September 11 and had surgery, had sufficiently recovered to play in Sunday's sudden-death game against the defending champions, Wallaby coaching co-ordinator David Nucifora said on Monday. "He's fine to go, he'll be training with us (during the week), so I don't think there's any more boxes he has to tick. He'll be right," Nucifora said. Wallaby captain James Horwill said there will be no need to ease Ioane back into the fray. "He's one of those guys that whenever the opportunity arises, he's good to go," Horwill said of his Queensland Reds' teammate Ioane's strong recuperative powers. "He doesn't need any warm-ups (preparatory matches) or anything like that. "He prepares himself well enough - when he is unfortunately injured - to hit the ground running when the time arises." Ioane's return will be a significant boost for Australia, who are without winger Drew Mitchell, who has returned home with a hamstring injury. Replacement winger Lachie Turner arrived in Wellington on Monday along with backrow forward Matt Hodgson, who replaces repatriated Wycliff Palu (hamstring).