All Blacks sweating on Will Jordan’s fitness ahead of opening Test against Springboks as Dave Rennie issues update
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie (inset) and backline star Will Jordan.
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has revealed that star outside back Will Jordan remains a doubt for the first Test against the Springboks in Johannesburg.
Rennie admitted that Jordan is “not quite right” for the eagerly anticipated opener which will be played at Ellis Park on August 22.
Jordan shone on the right wing for the All Blacks in their Nations Championship Tests against France, Italy and Ireland during July and would be a certainty in their starting line-up against the Boks.
Battling a back injury
However, he has been struggling with a back injury which has ruled him out of the All Blacks’ first two matches of their South African tour – against the Stormers and Sharks – and was also omitted from their matchday squad for Saturday’s clash with the Bulls in Pretoria.
Although Rennie said they are “reasonably confident” the 28-year-old speedster would be available for the opening Test of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, he would not guarantee it.
“We need to get decent training into him and a decent training week next week,” he explained.
Rennie’s original plan was for Jordan to play his first match of the tour in Tuesday’s clash against the Sharks in Durban where the All Blacks clinched a comfortable 54-0 victory.
“When he wasn’t good for that, we thought we’d play him and even give him some game time this week [against the Bulls],” Rennie revealed.
“But he’s not quite right, but he’s definitely better.”
Second injury of the season
Apart from his back injury, Jordan also missed the latter part of the Crusaders’ Super Rugby Pacific campaign due to a calf issue.
Last month, Jordan moved ahead of Doug Howlett on New Zealand’s all-time Test try-scorer’s list when he crossed for a hat-trick of five-pointers during the All Blacks’ 47-17 Nations Championship win over Italy in Wellington.
Jordan, who is adept on the wing or at full-back, has scored 51 tries in 57 Test appearances for New Zealand.
Although the All Blacks don’t want to risk his fitness, they will be eager for him to be involved in the four-Test series against their arch-rivals the Springboks.
Rennie also revealed that star scrum-half Cam Roigard, who was a late withdrawal from the matchday squad for the Sharks match with a calf niggle, was expected to make his first appearance of the tour against the Springboks at Ellis Park.
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“The plan was just to give him maybe 30 minutes off the bench [against the Sharks] and then he just pulled up a little lame,” said the coach.
“We’re pretty confident he’ll be right for the first test. He’s played a lot of rugby this year.”
Meanwhile, veteran hooker Codie Taylor and tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax, have overcome respective calf and leg injuries and will make their first appearances of the tour after being named in the starting line-up for the clash against the Bulls.
