All Blacks legend worried ‘I might have egg on my face’ with Will Jordan demand after Springboks ‘struggles’

Colin Newboult
All Blacks speedster Will Jordan and head coach Scott Robertson (inset).

All Blacks speedster Will Jordan and head coach Scott Robertson. (photo by James Foy / Speed Media AU / Iconsportswire)

Justin Marshall admits that he risks looking like a fool after Will Jordan’s performances against the Springboks in the Rugby Championship.

The former scrum-half has consistently called on Scott Robertson to shift the speedster to full-back from his usual Test place on the wing.

Robertson finally obliged, naming him in the 15 jersey with Beauden Barrett on the bench for the Cape Town clash, but it failed to ignite the backline.

Replaced twice

Jordan struggled and was replaced when Barrett came on midway through the second period during the All Blacks’ 18-12 defeat to South Africa.

That display followed another inauspicious effort as he failed to make an impact in the Johannesburg Test on the wing and was once again substituted.

Marshall insists that the Crusaders star is still not quite at his best following his return from a lengthy shoulder injury, but is confident that the flyer will find his form.

“The glaringly obvious one we’re trying to cope with at the moment is the Will Jordan one. This is where I might have egg on my face because I’ve been the one saying he needs to play full-back, but he really struggled to get into the game at the weekend,” he said on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby ANZ podcast.

“The week before, he got substituted off the wing because he couldn’t get into the game, so he’s just a little off at the moment, he hasn’t regained that mojo that he had.

“Yes, he played well against Argentina but he was up against that really aggressive defence (against South Africa) for the first time in a very long time as he didn’t play the England series.

“They’re probably going to have to have a look at that and wonder why he’s struggling to get back to where he was at the Rugby World Cup, but I have no doubt that he will get there.”

Justin Marshall issues ‘pressure’ warning to Scott Robertson after Springboks defeats added ‘more baggage’

Answering the selectorial questions

Marshall has been frustrated by Robertson’s lack of experimentation, which includes the head coach’s reluctance to move Ardie Savea to openside or to make a change at fly-half.

The 51-year-old – a former team-mate of the head coach – was pleased that the All Blacks boss at least tried Jordan at full-back and hopes the same is done at 10, where Beauden Barrett is putting pressure on Damian McKenzie.

“They asked one [question] by putting Will Jordan at full-back and, to a degree, he’s still struggling in both positions – wing and full-back,” Marshall said.


“He’s not recaptured that World Cup form. He played well against Argentina, but that wasn’t against the England and South Africa blitz defence.

“They’re starting to work out where he’s best suited, but they haven’t done that at 10.

“This is not saying Damian McKenzie’s playing s***, I’ve never said that he is – he’s a miraculous player – but why don’t you put Beauden Barrett there just to see whether or not the team dynamic in attack changes?

“There’s no harm in doing it now. If we’re going to get to the point we want to get to, which is number one in the world again, we’ve got to answer all these questions.”

READ MORE: Ex-Springboks rip into the All Blacks ‘coaching errors’ as they ‘definitely had the guys to make the difference’