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Will Jordan’s frank take when asked to explain All Blacks’ selection call
By Finn Morton
Before the All Blacks’ second Test against the Springboks earlier this year, Will Jordan sat down in one of the more scenic interview locations this writer has ever seen. As tortoises roamed the grounds in the green gardens out behind the team hotel, Jordan prepared for an interview.
It hadn’t been announced to the public just yet but Jordan was about to start at fullback in a Freedom Cup decider at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium. The try-scoring phenomenon had almost exclusively been used on the wing at Test level, but change was just around the corner.
Jordan had only started one other Test in the No. 15 jumper before that clash in Cape Town, and that was last year’s thrilling Test between the All Blacks and Wallabies in Dunedin. In every other appearance, the All Black has either started on the wing or come off the pine.
Most fans have long held a desire to see Jordan move into the fullback role on a full-time basis, but it’s not hard to see why Ian Foster erred on the side of caution during the former coach’s reign in charge. If something isn’t broken, there’s no need to fix it.
At just 26 years of age, Jordan has already made history by becoming the equal-most prolific try scorer at a single Rugby World Cup after crossing for eight last year. To this day, Jordan has almost scored a try for every Test – currently boasting a record of 35 tries in 37 Tests.
With a knack of finishing tries on the wing, this selection does make a lot of sense. When asked to explain why international coaches have seen him as more of a winger, even Jordan himself acknowledged, “It’s just the way it’s gone.”
“When I first came into the team, we had a lot of depth at fullback and we still do now. The likes of Beaudy (Barrett), Damian (McKenzie), Jordie (Barrett) a couple of years ago,” Jordan told RugbyPass in Cape Town in September.
“(Coach Ian) Fossie in particular liked me on the wing and being able to just roam around and play pretty freely and back my instincts. I guess they had a bit of success in that space which kept me there.
“At the same time, I’ve still always been training and across the fullback roles, so I’m ready to come to that if needed. I just put it down to the depth we’ve had in that position and finding a way to get onto the park despite that.”
When new coach Scott Robertson came into the All Blacks’ environment, that’s when fans tipped Jordan to finally move to fullback. But, ‘Razor’ Robertson long kept Jordan on the edge as others were instead given opportunities out the back.
Stephen Perofeta started the first two Tests of the year against England before Beauden Barrett got a run against Fiji in San Diego. Jordan was injured during those Tests, to be fair, but still featured as a winger upon his return for The Rugby Championship.
While Jordan got a run against the Boks in Cape Town, the 26-year-old was supposed to return to the wing for the opening Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney. But, with Beauden Barrett a late withdrawal due to illness, the Tasman Mako and Crusaders fullback got a chance.
Jordan was very, very good against the Wallabies.
The All Black scored the opening try in Bledisloe I inside the opening couple of minutes. Then, a week later, Jordan went nuclear with more than 160 running metres at Wellington’s Sky Stadium. While it seems New Zealand may have found their fullback, that’s not exactly official.
Jordan has been included in the All Blacks’ squad for their upcoming end-of-year tour. With Beauden Barrett another strong contender to start at fullback, it’ll be interesting to see what coach Robertson does against the likes of England, Ireland and France.
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Latest Comments
Can’t wait. Hard to call even with Munster being away. La Rochelle have been so off the boil recently.
Go to commentsPep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca. The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.
His time with City - a lower win ratio compared to Bayern Munich as you say - includes a 100 PT season. A feat that will likely never be surpassed. I appreciate you don’t follow soccer too closely but even casual fans refer to the sport in ‘pre and post Pep’ terms and all because of what he has achieved and is continuing to achieve, late career. There is a reason that even U10’s play out from the back now at every level of the game. That’s also a fairly recent development.
How refreshing to return to rugby on a rugby forum.
Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.
His career since has even included director of rugby positions. He would have an extremely good idea of where the game is at and where it is going in addition to governance experience and dealings. Not least in Oz were many of the players will have come via or across Rugby League pathways.
Gatland isn’t a valid coach to compare too. He only ever over-achieved and was barely schools level without Shaun Edwards at club or test level. His return to Wales simply exposed his limitations and a chaotic union. It wasn’t age.
Schmidt is open to staying involved in a remote capacity which I think deserves more attention. It would be a brain drain to lose him. He stepped in to coach the ABs in the first 2022 test against Ireland when Foster was laid out with Covid. They mullered Ireland 42-19. He was still heavily involved in the RWC 2023 quarter final. Same story.
Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.
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