July 11, 2026 • 12 mins
Will Jordan hopes he's inspired a new generation of rugby players after an historic achievement in Wellington.
The All Blacks outside back scored a hat-trick in the 47-17 win over Italy, as he overtook Doug Howlett for the New Zealand test record, with 50 tries.
He joined Piney to discuss the game-winning performance.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Will Jordan last night added another remarkable chapter to an
already extraordinary All Black's career, a hat trick against Italy,
taking him to fifty Test tries, now the leading test
try score up in All Black history. It's a record
that underline says incredible consistency, outstanding anticipation, and his finishing ability.
(00:33):
And he's achieved it all while still in the prime
of his career. So fresh from a memorable night in
the Black Jersey, great pleasure to welcome Will Jordan to
the show. Will, congratulations. What were the few hours after
the test like for you last night?
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yeah? It always pretty quickly to be fear. Wasn't really
expecting going to the game that would be last night,
real it had happened. But yeah, it was just straight
being around my friends and family. I was graving my
mum and dad and my partner McKenzie up. So yeah,
just kind of start to the moment with them and
the boys, and yeah, I guess that's why you play
the game, is to share those moments with the guys
(01:11):
around you. So it was a cool night and great
to celebrate to Tibie Thompson, Lowy and Swift gith as are.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
When you crossed for that record breaking try, you were
engulfed by your teammates. You heard the roar of the
crowd as they flashed up on the big screen everyone
realized what you'd done. How are the emotions in those
couple of moments.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Yeah, first off, I was pretty tired to you, Fair'd
been a big ten minutes of running ready for us beforehand.
But yeah, I know it's sort of almost like that,
a little bit too fair. It was, yeah, just crazy
hating the boys come in like Sir Geordie and Damien,
a couple of great mates of mine right and amongst it,
and then to steal the crowd kind of rise up
for it. It was a yeah, cool feeling and it's
(01:50):
only one old. Remember for a long time.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
You've always had this incredible ability of being in the
right place at the right time. How much of that
is instinct and how much is it something you've developed
and worked on over the years.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yeah, I think it's a bit of both. I think
I always pride myself on, yeah, trying to know the
game as well as I can and go and reallydip
with my preparation to I guess look for opportunities and
I think that allows you to play instinctively, and yeah,
just try and be in the frame. I think for
every three or four times you might run a line
looking to get the way, you won't get it. So yeah,
(02:27):
I guess I've just tried to be consistent around the
eff areas of the game and give myself opportunities, and
I've been lucky to pay some great players then over
for a few as well.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
How hard do you work on your outright speed and
what does that work look like?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Yeah, something I'm certainly getting more conscious of as I
get older is trying to maintain that. I guess. Yeah,
a lot of it starts kind of in the gym,
working on the power that's in that space, trying to
move waits quickly, and then throughout the week getting a
few exposures. I think for me, I think as well
as topping, acceleration has always been something that I've tried
(03:02):
to it really hard on. So yeah, I just the week,
you probably try and touch it two or three times
and then hopefully if you opportunities to bring it out
in the weekend and.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
The tries are the end result, of course, will but
are there other parts of your game that you've worked
really hard on that perhaps go a little bit unnoticed.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah, I guess you're always trying to work on your
craft and try and balance a game. I think reasonably
proud of where my kind of defensive side of the
game's got too. And I look back from when I started, yeah,
about ten years ago on my professional journey, it's suddenly
come a long ways. So that's one I think just
the if the area is like you work out pretty quickly,
particularly into his footy that as a long they're chasing
(03:43):
cacks and all that sort of stuff, So a really
huge part of the game. So I've tried pretty hard
to come well well runs As the players I've got older, we.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Look at this list, Doug Howlett, Joe Rocathoco, Christian Cullen,
Julian Savia, Jeff Wilson. We're talking about a roll call
of some of our greatest outside backs. When you hear
your name alongside them and now above them by this
met trek, what does that mean to you?
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, I think it's for me. What makes it? Yeah,
mind blowing and something that's pretty humbling and yeah, pretty
grateful to be alongside those names. Yeah, the likes to
Joe and Dog obviously grow up watching and they've certainly
simply a highlight reels of Kelly and Goldie. So yeah,
it's pretty special for me to be alongside them. I
certainly hope sort of see myself met realm yet but yeah,
(04:32):
kind of the who's who of yeah back three players
in Muson, So yeah, special anytime your name's mentioned alongside
those guys who.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Were your all black heroes growing up.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, I think Dan Carter was a big one for me,
obviously been a Chrish hitch Lad. Here was someone I
certainly looked up to. And in terms of more the
Back three stuff, I think, yeah, I loved Jerkathoko when
I was the kids and I was a little bit
older coming through high school. That likes to Ben Smith,
a Israel dad. So guys that are kind of similar
to me in terms of that fallback flash wing mold,
(05:05):
and there's probably a few traits of them in my game.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
I think, do you have a favorite test try.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
This last night? I've probably got a couple of tovc
I think one that's I've really felt the crowd get
them behind me and as I was scoring it. Yeah,
felt the energy was to try against the Irish in
Wellington in twenty twenty two, oft inside ball for Mardie.
Unfortunately lost that tea twitch sounded it a little bit,
but finy oline would probably just be the World Cup
(05:33):
quarterfinal again against the Irish. Obviously probably putt a pivotal
moment in a big game. So that's when that stands out.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
All right, Just a word on game last night, if
that's okay, But of a grind early before you clicked
after the break, what in particular did you feel change
after halftime?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Yeah, I think in terms of last night, like it's
not often in Test men trab you're going to have
it all go your own ways. So yeah, stroted a
little bit in that first fifteen twenty minutes, and I
think we each made a bit of an adjustment to
try and kick a little bit more to try and
break up the defensive line. Like it felt like when
they were seat defensively, it's pretty tough to crack, So
we looked to kick a bit to force them to
(06:10):
kick back to create some counter or unstructed opportunities, and
I thought we did that. We kind of broke up
the game and we're able to get our open field
running going and get our big athletes in the white channels,
the likes of Arty in that and some space, which
is pleasing. So yeah, I think it was good to
be able to have some challenges early and then be
able to find some solutions and overcome those and the
(06:31):
start of the second half put it all together for
a bit was pretty pleasing.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
And this is your ros seventh year in the All Blacks,
so you've had a few head coaches, two wins from
two under Dave Rennie. What's been the biggest change or
influence he's had early on in his time in the environment.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yeah, I think a couple of things stand out. I
think for reend is pretty measured, like he doesn't seem
to get too high or get too low. He's got
a really little demeanor, which I think is important in
this game obviously. Yeah, you ride ups and downs a
little bit, so being pretty clear with your messaging is important.
And there's obvious been a lot of chat around the
way we want to play and his back dust to
(07:06):
C space and take it so as a beat through
a player, you love hearing it, And yeah, I think
as we grow our exit and execution that will hopefully
have us in good stead moving forward.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
All right, just to finish. Records are nice, but I
know they're not the reason you play. When you look
back on your All Blacks career when it's all done,
and that will be way into the future. What do
you hope people remember most about about the way you
play the game?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Yeah? Two, Christian last think, Yeah, I hope I've just
tribed to inspire some people. I think, Yeah, I think
back when I was a kid, how much joy I
got and I watched the All Blacks play and how
much hope you got for it. And yeah, I think
nor backs when we're playing well in a real source
of inspiration and unity for our countries. So if I've
been able to make few people smile when a Saturday night,
(07:52):
then that's something I could be pretty parded of.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
You certainly did that last night. Congrats you in well,
all the best as you prepare for Ireland to eat
and part next weekend. Appreciate you taking the time for
a chat.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Awesome, thanks very much, No, thank.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
You mate that as well. Jordan. Of course, our new
all time leading test try scorer. We are witnessing With
Will Jordan finishing greatness in real time fifty Test tries
in just his fifty sixth Test, you wonder just how
many he might end up getting. Doug Hallett got his
(08:26):
forty ninth and final Test try against Romania at the
two thousand and seven Rugby World Cup. He so has
have that record for what nearly two decades, while some
pretty handy players have tried to chase him down. Joe
Rocathoco got to forty six, so too to Julian Savia least.
I forget Boden Barrett's on forty five, so there may
be more to come from him. But for Will Jordan
(08:47):
to so consistently find the try line with ball in
hand is generational. And now he looks ahead to the
greatest tri scorers in the history of Test rugby, not
just for us but for anybody. Only six men have
scored more tries than he has in Test matches. Daisuki
(09:08):
Ohata of Japan as top of the list sixty nine,
spring box legend Brian Habana sixty seven, David Campezi sixty four.
Welsh and British and Irish lines winger Shane Williams crossed
sixty times. Then it's another Japanese player Herotoki on Uzawa
fifty five and Georgian Akaki Tabusadzi with fifty two. So
(09:30):
Will Jordan could catch a few of those blokes this year,
and it has strike rate, he would probably only need
another twenty five Test matches to get to seventy tries
if his strike rate continues, and there's no reason to
suggest it won't. It's another twenty five tests. He played
thirteen last year, ten the year before that ten the
(09:52):
year before that. He is ad a few injuries, hasn't
he He's currently contracted Will Jordan until the end of
next year, so after the World Cup. So let's say
he plays another ten Test matches this year and say
ten next year, so that's another twenty he'll get close
to seventy tries. Beyond that, who knows on the game.
(10:15):
Your thoughts are welcome. Of eight hundred and eighty ten
eighty first half very clunky from the All Blacks, very clunky, inaccurate,
lacking fluidity. Let's credit Italy who were excellent in the
first half, great defensive line speed, really disruptive and the
All Blacks searching for that accuracy and skill execution which
(10:35):
seems to still be eluding them on occasion. Second half
heaps better, so much better, certainly the first fifteen minutes
of the second half when the All Blacks piled on
twenty six unanswered points to basically secure the wins. So
whatever was said at halftime absolutely worked. They came out
and took the game away from the Italians. As I say,
(10:57):
had a really really good first half. Standouts. Will Jordan
obviously thought. Josh Moreby had a very good debut coming
on earlier than I'm sure he imagined with the injury
to Carter and Anton Segna two I thought gave a
really good account of himself on Test debut. In the
second half, Jeordie Barrett, typically solid and hugely influential and
(11:24):
in the Fords of the ethan De group, put in
a massive shift for the fifty minutes he was on,
and Sam Dowry had a second successive impressive Test match.
So if we assume that Dave Rennie will pick his
strongest available side to play Island next weekend, there are
a few guys who've put their hands up over the
last couple of weeks and a few questions still to
(11:44):
be answered. I'm not sure there's complete clarity yet on
the best loose forward trio, and an injury to look
Jacobson last night will further complicate that it'll be art
E plus two, but which two The back three mix
will be very interesting and will Bote and Barrett have
a role to play next week.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk Set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Will Jordan last night added another remarkable chapter to an
already extraordinary All Black's career, a hat trick against Italy,
taking him to fifty Test tries, now the leading test
try score up in All Black history. It's a record
that underline says incredible consistency, outstanding anticipation, and his finishing ability.
(00:33):
And he's achieved it all while still in the prime
of his career. So fresh from a memorable night in
the Black Jersey, great pleasure to welcome Will Jordan to
the show. Will, congratulations. What were the few hours after
the test like for you last night?
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yeah? It always pretty quickly to be fear. Wasn't really
expecting going to the game that would be last night,
real it had happened. But yeah, it was just straight
being around my friends and family. I was graving my
mum and dad and my partner McKenzie up. So yeah,
just kind of start to the moment with them and
the boys, and yeah, I guess that's why you play
the game, is to share those moments with the guys
(01:11):
around you. So it was a cool night and great
to celebrate to Tibie Thompson, Lowy and Swift gith as are.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
When you crossed for that record breaking try, you were
engulfed by your teammates. You heard the roar of the
crowd as they flashed up on the big screen everyone
realized what you'd done. How are the emotions in those
couple of moments.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Yeah, first off, I was pretty tired to you, Fair'd
been a big ten minutes of running ready for us beforehand.
But yeah, I know it's sort of almost like that,
a little bit too fair. It was, yeah, just crazy
hating the boys come in like Sir Geordie and Damien,
a couple of great mates of mine right and amongst it,
and then to steal the crowd kind of rise up
for it. It was a yeah, cool feeling and it's
(01:50):
only one old. Remember for a long time.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
You've always had this incredible ability of being in the
right place at the right time. How much of that
is instinct and how much is it something you've developed
and worked on over the years.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yeah, I think it's a bit of both. I think
I always pride myself on, yeah, trying to know the
game as well as I can and go and reallydip
with my preparation to I guess look for opportunities and
I think that allows you to play instinctively, and yeah,
just try and be in the frame. I think for
every three or four times you might run a line
looking to get the way, you won't get it. So yeah,
(02:27):
I guess I've just tried to be consistent around the
eff areas of the game and give myself opportunities, and
I've been lucky to pay some great players then over
for a few as well.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
How hard do you work on your outright speed and
what does that work look like?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Yeah, something I'm certainly getting more conscious of as I
get older is trying to maintain that. I guess. Yeah,
a lot of it starts kind of in the gym,
working on the power that's in that space, trying to
move waits quickly, and then throughout the week getting a
few exposures. I think for me, I think as well
as topping, acceleration has always been something that I've tried
(03:02):
to it really hard on. So yeah, I just the week,
you probably try and touch it two or three times
and then hopefully if you opportunities to bring it out
in the weekend and.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
The tries are the end result, of course, will but
are there other parts of your game that you've worked
really hard on that perhaps go a little bit unnoticed.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah, I guess you're always trying to work on your
craft and try and balance a game. I think reasonably
proud of where my kind of defensive side of the
game's got too. And I look back from when I started, yeah,
about ten years ago on my professional journey, it's suddenly
come a long ways. So that's one I think just
the if the area is like you work out pretty quickly,
particularly into his footy that as a long they're chasing
(03:43):
cacks and all that sort of stuff, So a really
huge part of the game. So I've tried pretty hard
to come well well runs As the players I've got older, we.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Look at this list, Doug Howlett, Joe Rocathoco, Christian Cullen,
Julian Savia, Jeff Wilson. We're talking about a roll call
of some of our greatest outside backs. When you hear
your name alongside them and now above them by this
met trek, what does that mean to you?
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, I think it's for me. What makes it? Yeah,
mind blowing and something that's pretty humbling and yeah, pretty
grateful to be alongside those names. Yeah, the likes to
Joe and Dog obviously grow up watching and they've certainly
simply a highlight reels of Kelly and Goldie. So yeah,
it's pretty special for me to be alongside them. I
certainly hope sort of see myself met realm yet but yeah,
(04:32):
kind of the who's who of yeah back three players
in Muson, So yeah, special anytime your name's mentioned alongside
those guys who.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Were your all black heroes growing up.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Yeah, I think Dan Carter was a big one for me,
obviously been a Chrish hitch Lad. Here was someone I
certainly looked up to. And in terms of more the
Back three stuff, I think, yeah, I loved Jerkathoko when
I was the kids and I was a little bit
older coming through high school. That likes to Ben Smith,
a Israel dad. So guys that are kind of similar
to me in terms of that fallback flash wing mold,
(05:05):
and there's probably a few traits of them in my game.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
I think, do you have a favorite test try.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
This last night? I've probably got a couple of tovc
I think one that's I've really felt the crowd get
them behind me and as I was scoring it. Yeah,
felt the energy was to try against the Irish in
Wellington in twenty twenty two, oft inside ball for Mardie.
Unfortunately lost that tea twitch sounded it a little bit,
but finy oline would probably just be the World Cup
(05:33):
quarterfinal again against the Irish. Obviously probably putt a pivotal
moment in a big game. So that's when that stands out.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
All right, Just a word on game last night, if
that's okay, But of a grind early before you clicked
after the break, what in particular did you feel change
after halftime?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Yeah, I think in terms of last night, like it's
not often in Test men trab you're going to have
it all go your own ways. So yeah, stroted a
little bit in that first fifteen twenty minutes, and I
think we each made a bit of an adjustment to
try and kick a little bit more to try and
break up the defensive line. Like it felt like when
they were seat defensively, it's pretty tough to crack, So
we looked to kick a bit to force them to
(06:10):
kick back to create some counter or unstructed opportunities, and
I thought we did that. We kind of broke up
the game and we're able to get our open field
running going and get our big athletes in the white channels,
the likes of Arty in that and some space, which
is pleasing. So yeah, I think it was good to
be able to have some challenges early and then be
able to find some solutions and overcome those and the
(06:31):
start of the second half put it all together for
a bit was pretty pleasing.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
And this is your ros seventh year in the All Blacks,
so you've had a few head coaches, two wins from
two under Dave Rennie. What's been the biggest change or
influence he's had early on in his time in the environment.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yeah, I think a couple of things stand out. I
think for reend is pretty measured, like he doesn't seem
to get too high or get too low. He's got
a really little demeanor, which I think is important in
this game obviously. Yeah, you ride ups and downs a
little bit, so being pretty clear with your messaging is important.
And there's obvious been a lot of chat around the
way we want to play and his back dust to
(07:06):
C space and take it so as a beat through
a player, you love hearing it, And yeah, I think
as we grow our exit and execution that will hopefully
have us in good stead moving forward.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
All right, just to finish. Records are nice, but I
know they're not the reason you play. When you look
back on your All Blacks career when it's all done,
and that will be way into the future. What do
you hope people remember most about about the way you
play the game?
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Yeah? Two, Christian last think, Yeah, I hope I've just
tribed to inspire some people. I think, Yeah, I think
back when I was a kid, how much joy I
got and I watched the All Blacks play and how
much hope you got for it. And yeah, I think
nor backs when we're playing well in a real source
of inspiration and unity for our countries. So if I've
been able to make few people smile when a Saturday night,
(07:52):
then that's something I could be pretty parded of.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
You certainly did that last night. Congrats you in well,
all the best as you prepare for Ireland to eat
and part next weekend. Appreciate you taking the time for
a chat.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Awesome, thanks very much, No, thank.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
You mate that as well. Jordan. Of course, our new
all time leading test try scorer. We are witnessing With
Will Jordan finishing greatness in real time fifty Test tries
in just his fifty sixth Test, you wonder just how
many he might end up getting. Doug Hallett got his
(08:26):
forty ninth and final Test try against Romania at the
two thousand and seven Rugby World Cup. He so has
have that record for what nearly two decades, while some
pretty handy players have tried to chase him down. Joe
Rocathoco got to forty six, so too to Julian Savia least.
I forget Boden Barrett's on forty five, so there may
be more to come from him. But for Will Jordan
(08:47):
to so consistently find the try line with ball in
hand is generational. And now he looks ahead to the
greatest tri scorers in the history of Test rugby, not
just for us but for anybody. Only six men have
scored more tries than he has in Test matches. Daisuki
(09:08):
Ohata of Japan as top of the list sixty nine,
spring box legend Brian Habana sixty seven, David Campezi sixty four.
Welsh and British and Irish lines winger Shane Williams crossed
sixty times. Then it's another Japanese player Herotoki on Uzawa
fifty five and Georgian Akaki Tabusadzi with fifty two. So
(09:30):
Will Jordan could catch a few of those blokes this year,
and it has strike rate, he would probably only need
another twenty five Test matches to get to seventy tries
if his strike rate continues, and there's no reason to
suggest it won't. It's another twenty five tests. He played
thirteen last year, ten the year before that ten the
(09:52):
year before that. He is ad a few injuries, hasn't
he He's currently contracted Will Jordan until the end of
next year, so after the World Cup. So let's say
he plays another ten Test matches this year and say
ten next year, so that's another twenty he'll get close
to seventy tries. Beyond that, who knows on the game.
(10:15):
Your thoughts are welcome. Of eight hundred and eighty ten
eighty first half very clunky from the All Blacks, very clunky, inaccurate,
lacking fluidity. Let's credit Italy who were excellent in the
first half, great defensive line speed, really disruptive and the
All Blacks searching for that accuracy and skill execution which
(10:35):
seems to still be eluding them on occasion. Second half
heaps better, so much better, certainly the first fifteen minutes
of the second half when the All Blacks piled on
twenty six unanswered points to basically secure the wins. So
whatever was said at halftime absolutely worked. They came out
and took the game away from the Italians. As I say,
(10:57):
had a really really good first half. Standouts. Will Jordan
obviously thought. Josh Moreby had a very good debut coming
on earlier than I'm sure he imagined with the injury
to Carter and Anton Segna two I thought gave a
really good account of himself on Test debut. In the
second half, Jeordie Barrett, typically solid and hugely influential and
(11:24):
in the Fords of the ethan De group, put in
a massive shift for the fifty minutes he was on,
and Sam Dowry had a second successive impressive Test match.
So if we assume that Dave Rennie will pick his
strongest available side to play Island next weekend, there are
a few guys who've put their hands up over the
last couple of weeks and a few questions still to
(11:44):
be answered. I'm not sure there's complete clarity yet on
the best loose forward trio, and an injury to look
Jacobson last night will further complicate that it'll be art
E plus two, but which two The back three mix
will be very interesting and will Bote and Barrett have
a role to play next week.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
For more from Weekends Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk Set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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