Nineteen carries, five tries, five offloads and more linebreaks than any other with 10 ensured Akira Ioane had a tournament to remember on his return to the All Blacks Sevens side.

A World Rugby U20 Championship winner last year, Ioane made a welcome to return to the All Blacks Sevens and contributed to their fifth win in six years on home soil. Combining with his brother Rieko for the first time in an international sevens tournament, the Ioane brothers scored three of the four tries before Joe Webber stepped up to convert the match-winner.

But it was also Ioane's try-saving tackle on Rosko Specman with South Africa looking to increase their lead in the first half that caught the eye and ensured the elder of the two brothers got the nod for the HSBC player of the final award.

"I was pretty stuffed after the first five minutes but I suppose I did pretty good to stick in there for the whole time," said Ioane.

 

Mean win with the brothers! All black everything ⚪️⚫️

A photo posted by @akiraioane_ on

"The boys put in the hard yards and made me look good. Titch (Gordon Tietjens) said just have a go, that's what sevens is about, and I couldn't have asked for a better result. To do it with my brother is pretty special, I reckon he should have got the award."

Ioane was also named in the HSBC Dream Team in Wellington, alongside teammates Tim Mikkelson and Augustine Pulu, South Africa's Kwagga Smith, Seabelo Senatla and Rosko Specman, and England's Dan Bibby.

It was an enthralling end to the third round of the HSBC Wellington Sevens and Ioane joins Jerry Tuwai and Justin Geduld as winners of the award so far this seeason.