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Scott Robertson confirms Will Jordan's new position for All Blacks
Will Jordan is nearing a return to rugby and the long-awaited switch to fullback looks all but certain for New Zealand’s most prolific scoring threat.
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The try-scoring phenom has plied his trade on the right wing most commonly at the international level so far in his young career, but having donned the No. 15 jersey throughout his Super Rugby Pacific career under Scott Robertson at the Crusaders, many expected the 26-year-old to make the move to his familiar backfield role under his former Crusaders coach at the next level.
Robertson confirmed that is indeed the plan for his star back, who is coming off a shoulder injury which saw him miss the entirety of the Super Rugby season.
“He’s a fullback that can play wing, he can cover there,” Robertson told The Breakdown following the squad naming on Sunday.
“We’re really fortunate with Beaudy (Barrett’s) form, he’s come in with super hot form.
“We’ve got a game this week for Will, it’s his first game in a long, long time so he’s going to have to perform straight away and own it, get back to a Test match level.
“We’re really pleased for him, that he’s worked so hard and it gives us depth, he can play fullback and cover wing.
“I’m really big on players playing two positions; their preferred position and another position. Things change really quickly and the utility factor is critical.”
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Barrett’s form has indeed caught plenty of attention in the reserve role throughout the England series, with the 33-year-old promoted to the starting XV against Fiji in San Diego.
Stephen Perofeta also remains in the squad as a fullback option, having impressed in his minutes against an English side that demanded plenty of the opposition fullback.
“Beaudy is absolute class and we’ll get him on the field where we can,” assistant coach Scott Hansen told media on Monday.
“His quality is ‘you just put me where you need me to be coaches’ and he’s done that so well for us. The way he’s led our weeks. The clarity and composure whether that be at 10 or fullback, the influence he’s had on this group has been massive the last three Tests.
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“He has the ability to play 10 and lead us around the field as a first ball player, he also has quality of control as a fullback as well. You’ve seen the way we play, it’s very likely Beauden is on one side of the ruck with Dmac (Damian McKenzie) on the other, so we see those roles as having the ability to influence our attack.”
The NPC is still a week away from kicking off, so if Jordan is set for some game time this weekend one has to assume it will be in some local club colours, something that should excite the Christchurch club scene.
Jordan’s shoulder issue comes after a bizarre inner-ear trouble that saw him miss plenty of games over the previous 12 months but didn’t impact his Rugby World Cup campaign.
Hansen expanded on his thoughts on Jordan’s best position.
“His great strength is his ability to play both (wing and fullback). When you talk about All Black outside backs, a strength they’ve always had is their ability to be able to cover wing,” Hansen said.
“Will Jordan is a world-class athlete and rugby player. That gives us the ability to play him at fullback where he’s been selected. But also our memory allows us to look at where he was last year on the right wing for the All Blacks, so we’re very lucky to have the ability to use Will where we need to.”
The coach said selectors weren’t too worried about the extended period without rugby.
“He is a player that can come out and play test match footy straight away.
“The best thing for Will though is to give him the confidence through our environment through his contact training and collisions and that could also look like him playing for Tasman (in the NPC) in a week or so.”
Jordan has new competition in the form of 23-year-old Hurricanes star Ruben Love, too. Love had excelled for periods of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season and while not initially selected for the All Blacks’ Steinlager Series squad, Love had plenty of opportunity to impress selectors while in the wider squad group throughout July.
“He’s had a fantastic Super Rugby campaign. He was with us for a number of weeks (as cover during the July tests). We just saw a lot of really good attributes around him learning his craft, being professional, running very well as the opposition and he gave us a lot so we’re really excited to see Ruben in.”
Beauden Barrett is 33 and will be 36 by the 2027 RWC. At this point in his career, super sub covering 10 and 15 for the last 20-30 minutes of a test is his best role now.
He was brilliant coming of the bench vs England in both tests while solid but unspectacular versus Fiji in the 70 minutes he played.
Will Jordans shoulder has/is fully recovered…for mine if he plays at Ellis Park then that would suggest his inner ear condition has also healed and hes mentally and physically fit healthy and injury free to play at altitude…
Well explained. Will Jordan has been selected as FULLBACK. Who can fill in as wing, as required.
Just to give an opponents perspective. Beaudain Barrett is the feared full back. In the RWC for example, he chipped from a defensive position, regathered and presented. The new position was the opposition stretched deep in their half, with NZ having clean possession and loads of space on the wings. New Zealand International teams tend to finish from there. That was Barretts try, and key to getting NZ off and running.
Dozens of examples of similar obviously.
Look at the second test in Eden park. England’s instruction was to grubber—if out of options, keep NZ pinned and don’t make errors. High percentage strategy for that stage of the match. Enter Barrett. 3 grubbers, -150m for England. Strategy in pieces. The 7 point win at the end, felt in control. Barretts double chip, clearance and volley from his own corner to withing millimeters of regathering, a hand off and try. Has anyone seen a better piece of skill than this recently? Ever? He scores that and its in the conversation for greatest individual International try of all time.
From a 50:50 uncomfortable battle, that wasn’t in NZ’s control, the game changed to a 7 point win with the winner never really in doubt. That was Beadain Barrett.
He must start and what that Sith Master Barrett and NZ needs is a suitable apprentice at 10. To learn from the master. Maybe that’s Jordan? Dunno though.
I think Robertson will revisit this. A lesson from countries like Ireland might be the value of a settled team. Ireland don’t have depth to chop and change, like an England does, but mitigates by picking guys suited to their position and devloping them into extremly effective efficient players in the Irish system which also allows them to play what they see in front. Countries with major talent pools oftem lose out on team improvement through confusion via access to vast numbers. Robertson used to have the choice of Crusaders signed players only. Now he has the whole of NZ. I would worry a little with this Jordan situation. You need Barrett at full back and a young ‘Barrett’ in his shadow for 2027 and beyond.
Yeah, nah. Jordan is Razor’s #15. That’s it really.
Great news and great comments from Razor. The fact that Jordan performed so well playing out of position shows just how talented he is. He’ll be even better from fullback, especially once Havili is reinstated at 12 with Proctor at 13 so we have midfielders who can actually distribute the ball to him. Then when Richie comes back, boom.
Havili is a average SR player. Nothing more. Never has been.
ALB and proctor needs another looking at
I hope I'm proven horribly wrong and he ends up being the greatest fullback of all time but I've never seen anything from him that suggests that he understands what a Fullback is meant to do let alone be able to put it into practice.
Greatest winger in the world, and a god awful fullback, hopefully the coaches realise that against Argentina rather than Australia or South Africa but if Razor coached him for as long as he has without seeing that then it's more likely that other players will get blamed like how DMac got blamed against Australia last year when he was having to play 10 and 15 at the same time because Will Jordan doesn't know where he's meant to be.
So. You think Jordan’s a “god awful fullback”? Based on what bud? What do you know that Razor doesn’t? Help me out here.
Barrett is a far superior full back…understatement. NZ need to have him there and a true full back (young) in the squad, learning and preparing to take the reigns as Barrett eventually fades.
mate that was fozzy issue cause he wanted to get any Barrett in sight on the park!!!!
You will be.
Yeah those multiple titles for the Crusaders really showed him up…… Seriously mate he made the AB’s based on form from 15. Foster pigeon holed him onto the wing to fit his out of form favourite.
Looking forward to seeing Jordan back in black.