Mitre 10 Cup It’s finals time
Where the heck is Will Jordan, the highly touted kid who lit it up for Tasman last year?
It was a frequently asked question during the Crusaders’ march to a ninth Super Rugby title this year, although digging up any information on the former Christchurch Boys’ High School standout wasn’t easy.
Given fullback Jordan took a head knock during last year’s semifinal against Taranaki, there was talk of concussion. But the longer it dragged on, all while Jordan was spotted training from as early as February, the more questions arose.
It turns out the Crusaders were struggling to determine why Jordan, a World Cup winner with the NZ under-20s last year, wasn’t feeling 100 per cent.
‘‘What it came to, it wasn’t a concussion problem, but more if an inner-ear thing which was causing vertigo and a few vision problems. It just took a while to nut that out,’’ Jordan said.
Jordan, who this week was named Tasman’s player of the year, was eventually cleared to play in July, but did not see the field down the stretch.
‘‘It was definitely frustrating. I think any time you’re out for that length of time, there are doubts and frustrating moments come through. But I was able to keep training and to learn off guys like David Havili and Israel Dagg,’’ Jordan said.
Clad in head gear to boost his confidence, he re-emerged with Tasman in this year’s Mitre 10 Cup, picking up where he left off a year ago and helping them to a 9-1 record – enough to lock up the second seeding.
The 20-year-old’s form has been more than enough to keep Havili, the Crusaders’ regular fullback, captaining the Mako from the midfield, and seeing him glide through gaps at will is just one reminder why he’s predicted to have a future beyond Super Rugby.
He’s itching for a chance, but not before doing his darnedest to help Tasman win their first national provincial championship title.
They host reigning champions Canterbury at Nelson’s Trafalgar Park tonight, a welcome change from Christchurch Stadium, where they lost the 2016 and 2017 finals to their neighbours.
‘‘It’s probably not what I expected growing up to be the case,’’ the born-and-raised Christchurch product said of playing against Canterbury.
‘‘But, the main thing for me a couple of years ago, was wanting to stay in the Crusaders region. When Tasman came calling, and I
was able to stay in the region, I heard about their culture and the brand of footy they play. For me, it was probably the best decision I made – to play my footy up here.’’
Jordan will start at fullback, opposite Crusaders team-mate George Bridge, in a match which includes almost 30 players who played Super Rugby this season.
The winners will play either Auckland or Wellington in next Saturday’s decider.