Will Jordan has joined World Cup legends Jonah Lomu, Bryan Habana and Julian Savea in the try-scoring record books. And, according to All Blacks assistant coach Scott McLeod, the lethal wing’s finishing ability is due to his quick mind as much as his flashing feet.
Jordan’s three tries during his team’s 44-6 semifinal victory over Argentina at a damp Stade de France takes his tally to eight for the tournament – equal with late former All Black Lomu, who achieved the feat in 1995, former Boks wing Habana (2007) and former All Black Savea (2015).
The 25-year-old Jordan could have broken the record with a fourth try against the Pumas late in the game when he was unmarked and in acres of space, only for his All Blacks and Crusaders teammate Richie Mo’unga to dart back into a metaphorical cul-de-sac.
Speaking to the media a day after and ahead of the second semifinal between England and South Africa, Jordan assured he had no hard feelings about that. “Richie has put me over for that many tries over the course of my career – no issues there,” he said, adding that he was humbled to tie the record with a final to come next Sunday.
“Honestly, it’s pretty humbling,” Jordan said. “You look at those guys and they’re all huge legends of the game, particularly in the position I play.
“They’re guys who’ve trailblazed the way to play the game as a winger. It’s pretty cool. It definitely wasn’t something I set out to do. It’s nice to do it in amongst a team playing so well and to get to play next week is really cool.”
He now has 31 tries in 30 Tests, but confirmed he wasn’t motivated by those numbers. More important was the number of touches on the ball he received and his ability to get the ball into space to benefit others.
It is an attitude and an understanding that marks Jordan out as a special talent and puts him well on track to become the record-breaking All Blacks try scorer. Doug Howlett has the record with 49 tries in 62 Tests, with Savea, Christian Cullen and Joe Rokocoko tied for second on 46.
That quartet had Test careers which ranged from five to seven years.
In comparison, Jordan made his international debut in 2020. Of the current All Blacks on the list, Beauden Barrett, sixth with 42 tries in 122 Tests, and Rieko Ioane, ninth with 36 in 68, are coming into view.
Jordan is playing behind a pack as destructive as it has ever been since 2019 and alongside men such as Mo’unga and Barrett who are well aware of what he can achieve and how best to allow him to do that.
But McLeod’s insight into Jordan’s spatial awareness and feel for the game is also significant in explaining that remarkable run of success.
It should be said, too, that while two of Jordan's tries against the Pumas were gimmes, the third, a chip and chase from a lineout which had echoes of his score in the quarter-final against Ireland, was an individual classic.
“I think he’s so good at finishing because he can see the picture early,” McLeod said. “He can understand where the space is and where it’s going to be and then positions himself really well so when he does get the ball he understands what he has to do.
“Players around him now are starting to read off him as well. They get excited when he gets the ball and he creates something out of nothing so they get ready for that.”
Jordan, who counts Rokocoko, Savea, Ben Smith and Israel Dagg as players he looked up to, had his post-match celebrations curtailed by a random drugs test but said the bus journey back to the team hotel to the west of Paris was lively enough.
“I’m not one to track numbers,” he said when explaining his motivation. “I’ve always liked the support play and trying-to-be-in-the-frame and read-the-game scenario.
“It’s necessarily scoring tries because you can get a few like I did last night where you just catch the ball and dive over. It’s more about involvements in the game for me and popping up to provide an extra player on attack.
“A World Cup win is obviously what we all came over here to do. I’ll be perfectly happy to take a zero on the scoresheet if it means we get the job done. It’s obviously a team game and the group is really focused on what we want to do.
"Hopefully I can play my part in that.”
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