Rugby Championship considers mid-tournament switch. Video / NZ Herald
OPINION:
If the All Blacks can overcome their toughest opponent – Covid-19 – it's time they gave Will Jordan a run at fullback or the potential game-breaker might be heading for a very Ben Smith kind of career.
Nothing wrong with that, you might say. Most would settle happily foran All Black career mirroring Smith's. But you wonder if Jordan will be caught in the same sort of positional split personality – fullback or wing.
Most rugby judges felt Smith's best position was fullback; his 84-test career ended with the number 33 prominent – he was 33 years old; he started 33 tests as a winger, 33 as a fullback and 18 as a centre or replacement winger/fullback. He scored 23 tries as a winger and 14 as fullback in his haul of 39 (two at centre) – sixth on the All Blacks' all-time list.
Jordan's best position is also fullback; he has similar sinuous ability running the ball back after fielding a kick, often beating the first tackle. He is at ease under the high ball and he has an enhanced ability to be the support player to receive the scoring pass, so good is he at being in the right place at the right time after seeing a move unfold from the back.
Will Jordan's All Blacks career has started with a bang, but his future role in the side is uncertain. Photo / Photosport
Then there is his pace which, in the modern game, is often afforded more room at fullback than the wing, where running lines can be more crowded. He has, dare I say it, a touch of the Christian Cullens about him.
But, in the new All Black regime, there are depth and maybe political issues at play; Jordan appears behind Damian McKenzie and Jordie Barrett at 15. McKenzie seems first choice so far and there has been warm and fuzzy noises coming from the All Black camp about what a good winger Jordie Barrett is and even alluding to his midfield qualities, all no doubt aimed at inclusivity.
Depth is a huge boon, once achieved, just look at the Black Caps since they have successfully built their ranks of genuine test players. But it can also act as an obstacle for those played out of position; the team gains but individual potential can be dimmed.
The worry is that such depth and an abundance of choice, plus Jordan's ability to play both positions, will tell against him when it comes to fullback selection – with a budding genius perhaps obscured by the needs of the team.
There will be some who wonder what the issue is. Smith is one of the top try-scorers in All Black history. Jordan is already on the way, with 10 tries in his six tests – all of which have come on the wing, five in that rather embarrassing picnic against Tonga.
However, it's time to see what Jordan can do at fullback. McKenzie has been a mixed bag – his final, delicate pass to Brodie Retallick for the best try of the last test was the mark of a skilled ball player. Conversely, much of his running from the back has tended to be cross-field as he searches for a gap. Jordie Barrett, when he replaced him, brought more direct qualities, albeit later in the game when much of the sting had gone from the Wallaby defence.
Damian McKenzie's form at fullback is still up for interpretation. Photo / Photosport
McKenzie's fullback star brightened after the Tonga test; his first-receiver play impressive, as was his distribution – one enormous left-hand pass went like an arrow to create a try. But he remains a question mark under the high ball. As last line of defence, his bravery is not always matched by efficiency but he scores heavily when it comes to the two playmakers' theory.
Meanwhile Jordan squeezed David Havili – by some distance the best fullback on show in Super Rugby Aotearoa 2020 – into the Crusaders' midfield. Havili has since found a home in the All Black midfield but, when all the injured midfielders (Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienart-Brown, Braydon Ennor) return, pressure will go on those spots too. That could mean Havili will also be a contender at fullback.
The picture is also crowded on the wings with George Bridge, Caleb Clarke (once available again), Sevu Reece, Rieko Ioane and Jordie Barrett all potential starters there.
At his peak, Smith was regarded as the best fullback in the world by New Zealanders and many players from other nations. All Blacks fans clamoured to play him at 15 – though his farewell performance (against Wales in 2019) was on the wing; he scored two scorching tries, one of them enabled by the winger's best friend – a stiff fend.
Jordan has also yet to show consistently if he has prowess at the last-ditch tackle and other defensive must-haves. But the mouth waters more at the thought of his offensive assets, particularly operating with a power winger like Clarke and the profit to be made from a winger like that sucking in defenders.
