FLAIR JORDAN
IRELAND’S DEFENCE WILL BE PUT TO THE ULTIMATE TEST BY INSPIRATIONAL KIWI WING
THE All Blacks have never lacked the x-factor in their illustious ranks. They have always possessed potent wings who can break a game wide open. A lengthy list which includes John Kirwan, Inga Tuigamala, Jonah Lomu, Doug Howlett, Joe Rokocoko, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Julian Savea.
They can always call upon powerful, pacy and savvy customers who know their way to the tryline. The class of 2023 may not be a vintage outfit but this team is laced with players of the same calibre. And Will Jordan is the latest weapon of mass destruction in the Kiwi ranks.
This fleet-footed 25-year-old wing posses a very real threat to Ireland’s World Cup chances on Saturday night.
Andy Farrell and his troops have already witnessed Jordan in full flight. The Christchurch native has that rare blend of speed, footwork and an innate footballing sense. He can conjure a moment of inspiration and change the momentum of a contest.
Ireland’s defence — expertly drilled by Simon Easterby — has been nigh impenetrable at this tournament but this team has yet to encounter a threat like Jordan. He has already punctured the green wall to devastating effect on a few previous occasions.
Rewind back to the November series in 2021, a month when things finally clicked on Farrell’s watch. That impressive 29-20 win against New Zealand was something of a turning point for this squad. They have never looked back.
The visitors were second best on a dramatic evening in Dublin but Jordan ignited a final-quarter revival. The All Blacks were trailing
“He will punish
any lapses in concentration”
20-10 on the hour mark and looking lost. That was until Jordan got the ball in space down the right touchline. Carrying the ball in two hands — a regular sight — he chipped over James Lowe’s head before arriving on Rieko Ioane’s shoulder to take the pass for a sublime solo try.
It was the same story in Wellington last year when a hard-fought home series was on a knife edge. Once again, Ireland were in control approaching the final quarter. Once again, Jordan appeared from nowhere, taking an inside ball from Ardie Savea and sprinting 80 metres upfield — leaving Robbie Henshaw and Johnny Sexton for dead — in another scintillating effort. Ireland held on for the win on both occasions, but the creativity of Jordan ensured tense finishes.
No doubt, Jordan has been the subject of plenty of analysis in the Irish camp this week. Farrell knows that New Zealand’s livewire wing needs to be kept quiet. Loose kicking and lapses in concentration will be ruthlessly punished by a wing with 27 tries in 28 international appearances.
Shutting down Jordan is easier said than done, mind you. Under the watchful eye of Ian Foster and Joe Schmidt, he has been empowered to take a roaming role around the park.
Akin to the free roles afforded to Lowe and Mack Hansen in this Irish team, Jordan is liable to pop up anywhere. He will spend Saturday night hunting a tired forward around the fringe of a ruck or a player out of position in the wide channels.
‘Fozzie’s been keen for me to try get in the middle of the park as much as possible, even from the wing, so I was able to do that a couple of times,’ Jordan noted earlier this year.
‘It’s just good of Foz to give me the licence to go do that, I’ve got a bit of experience in that role. Particularly when they kick and I’m getting back into the middle, it’s just looking for space.’
There has always been hype around this devastating brokenfield runner. There’s a video compilation of Jordan’s best moments on YouTube titled The Human Highlights Reel and it is fully justified.
Born and raised in Christchurch, his talent was flagged from a long way out. He was a handy cricketer and golfer but he excelled in rugby once he walked through the doors of Christchurch Boys’ High School, a New Zealand institution which churns out future All Blacks. Former alumni include Dan Carter, Aaron Mauger, Anton Lienert-Brown and Brodie Retallick.
Jordan once scored 19 tries in 11 games in his school colours. Unsurprisingly, the New Zealand selectors came calling and he played a starring role for the U20s side at the 2017 Junior World Cup in Georgia. He registered five tries in a rout of the tournament hosts during a stellar tournament. New Zealand took home the title and Jordan returned to his native land with his reputation greatly enhanced.
The professional ranks beckoned and he won his first contract with the Tasman Makos, the provincial side which compete in New Zealand’s NPC tournament, the tier below Super Rugby.
The Tasman Bay-based club, who had Leinster coach Andrew Goodman on board for several seasons, are renowned for their swashbuckling style. And Jordan flourished, helping the Makos claim a maiden Premiership title in 2019. Lowe lined out for the same team before he sought pastures new with Leinster while new Munster recruit Alex Nankivell is a former teammate.
Jordan’s meteoric rise continued as the all-conquering Crusaders snapped him up. Under the tutelage of Scott Robertson, he was deployed at full-back and quickly began to terrorise defences in Super Rugby. Robertson’s stellar outfit stockpiled trophies and Jordan ran riot.
The only setback along the way has been a curious ‘migrainerelated condition’ which has kept him sidelined for eight months until he made his belated return to action in May. It was the same story in 2018 when the issue, which is related to his inner ear and causes vertigo and vision problems, kept him out of action for the best part of a year.
‘It was difficult to diagnose at first,’ Jordan once explained. Concussion was thrown out there, I had some neck problems and ultimately what happened was that I had this inner-ear problem that was causing me to get the balance and vision problems.
‘It was definitely frustrating. I think anytime you’re out for that length of time, there are doubts and frustrating moments.’
He seems to have put those issues behind him and ever since he made an eye-catching Test debut for the All Blacks against Australia in November 2020, he has become a mainstay in the iconic jersey. He signed a longterm contract extension in May, which will keep him on the books in New Zealand until the 2027 World Cup. The All Blacks know they have a special talent and they have locked him down for another World Cup cycle.
For now, they have Ireland in their sights. Foster’s side have been widely written off. This team have lost their mystique and aura of invincibility, apparently. Write them off at your peril.
Any side with a player like Jordan on board is a very clear and present danger to Ireland’s World Cup ambitions.