Justin Marshall: Scott Robertson’s costly error with Will Jordan who failed to ‘influence’ the game
Justin Marshall believes that Scott Robertson made an error with Will Jordan's introduction against Argentina.
All Blacks great Justin Marshall was left dumbfounded by Scott Robertson’s decision to bring Will Jordan on at wing in New Zealand’s loss to Argentina in the Rugby Championship and has called for a change at fly-half.
The former scrum-half said that Jordan was unable to influence the game from the wing and would have made a far greater improvement had he featured at full-back.
Scott Robertson’s replacement error
Jordan made his first appearance for the All Blacks since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final when he replaced Sevu Reece in the 50th minute of the 30-38 loss to Los Pumas – New Zealand’s second loss to Argentina on home soil since 2022.
Marshall was on commentary for Sky Sport New Zealand for the encounter was perplexed by Robertson’s call not to put the exciting outside back on at full-back, a move that he believes would have caused more issues for Argentina’s defence.
“At the time, I thought that this doesn’t make sense to me because we needed to change the picture of what Argentina were seeing,” Marshall said on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby ANZ podcast.
“I felt they should have brought Will Jordan on at fullback and shift Beauden Barrett to 10 because he’s a different type of threat at 10 than Damian McKenzie is and just see if that changes what Argentina see differently.”
Will Jordan reveals where he wants to play for the All Blacks
The 81-Test ex-All Black noted that Jordan threatened the Argentine defence on one occasion but that he was limited to what could do from the wing and could have done more from the full-back role.
“Jordan did almost create something from the wing with an inside ball but when you are playing on the wing you are lateral in your vision and you only see so much,” he added.
“But when you are coming from fullback, you are deeper and you can see the bigger broader picture of what’s in front of you and that’s when he is the most lethal.
“He can come in as a first or second receiver or if he can pick out an opportunity for a mismatch from deeper where there is a forward in third or fourth defender that is a bit fatigued and is one that he can skin, he will do that.
“At fullback, you have much more opportunities to influence the game and that’s where he is really dangerous with his speed, footwork and power.
“So putting him on the wing, I was like ‘F**k, well why?’. What we are doing Argentina have dealt with all game. Bringing him on and changing the picture at first receiver as well.”
Change at fly-half
Marshall believes that the All Blacks should make a change in the number ten jersey for the second Test match against Argentina in order to rectify the struggling attack.
“Why not? This is not a criticism or an attack on Damian McKenzie, he is not a s***t player, he is a mercurial player,” he said when asked if Robertson should make a change at fly-half.
“We are a little off on attack and the team we’ve been playing with struggled in that area of the game in the two Tests against England, forget the Fiji one, and then this one against Argentina which we have lost.
“The picture we are showing the opposition defence, they are dealing with. We scrapped through two Test matches against England and got beaten by Argentina, so we are predictable. What’s the harm in seeing if Beauden Barrett at ten doesn’t change the attack.
