'Clear winner': Former All Black says Will Jordan the favourite for Breakthrough Player award
Prolific try-scoring All Blacks wing Will Jordan has been labelled by a former All Black as the “clear winner” for World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year award.
Jordan had an incredible 2021 season in his second year of international rugby as he scored 15 tries in just 11 tests, including two outstanding efforts against Wales and Ireland on the recent end-of-year tour.
The 23-year-old outside back faces stiff competition from fellow nominees Andrew Kellaway (Australia), Louis Rees-Zammit (Wales) and Marcus Smith (England), all of whom were standouts this year, to bring home the award.
However, former All Blacks hooker James Parsons told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod that Jordan is the “clear winner” to be crowned Breakthrough Player of the Year.
“Rees-Zammit and Kellaway are extremely talented young men and have both had a massive year in terms of their career compared to where they were at the start to where they are now and well-respected they are internationally,” Parsons said.
The two-test rake believes Kellaway, the impressive Wallabies wing, will push Jordan for the honour, but added that the Crusaders flyer’s work without the ball, in addition to his try-scoring feats, should edge him ahead of his competitors.
“But I just can’t go past Will Jordan. Some of the things he’s pulled off this year are just freakish. He is seriously talented and I think a clear winner for me,” Parsons said.
“Even the ones he didn’t score, his assists and his work off-the-ball, he should win that one, I’m certain of. He’s pushed hard by Kellaway probably the most, in terms of breakout [ability].”
Complementing his ability to score tries at a rapid rate, Jordan ended up with 17 line breaks during the season, doubling that of Rieko Ioane, who had the second-most of any All Black with a total of nine.
Jordan’s Crusaders teammate Bryn Hall highlighted his ability to open up a defence as another key differentiator that adds weight to his case, showing that the youngster is a multi-faceted player who offered more than just finishing prowess.
“He’s grown up really fast, I think this year he’s taken it to another level,” Hall told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“His influence in games and big moments, whether it be a chip-and-chase against the Welsh team or off a counter-attack, getting through the middle and breaking through, and even his work rate off-the-ball as well, he’s world class.
“And, also defensively, he’s made massive improvement in that department, which is one thing he probably wanted to work on.
“I look at Kellaway, he’s had an outstanding year, someone that’s been earmarked for a while in that environment over there, but you just can’t go past Will Jordan.
“The tries he’s had, the ways that he’s scored them, the way he’s influenced games, I think it’s Will Jordan for sure.”
The rise of Jordan to reach this kind of form for the All Blacks was not lost on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod panel. As a schoolboy, he played halfback due to his lack of size and wasn’t picked in the New Zealand Schools side.
In fact, his first taste of national representative duties came as part of the New Zealand U20 side, where he played an integral role in helping the team become world champions in 2017.
“I think what it teaches you at that age, when you have a bit of adversity, you learn how to work hard,” Parsons told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.
“Your want and your desire to get to the top is a lot stronger because they’ve suffered that heartache earlier on.
“The impact that Will is having on games isn’t by luck. He’s working so hard off-the-ball, he’s creating more opportunities than not to be involved and has the opportunity to make a difference in these games.
“I think that is a cornerstone of his growth and his work ethic through his younger years. He’s still so young now, but you know what I mean, missing out on those [schoolboy] teams, is now probably his biggest strength.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Great story. Rugby needs new investment in teams like Brussels another pro league in Europe would be great.
1 Go to commentsAlso, looking at the data from last year, it seemed like by far the two biggest predictors of success were (1) kicking more than your opponents, and (2) having a higher rate of line-out wins than your opponents. I haven’t gone through the stats this year with a fine tooth comb, but the increase in kicks per game and the increase in tries from lineouts would suggest that these two metrics are only getting more important. England’s move away from a kick-heavy game to win against Ireland was seen by some as evidence that running rugby is on the rise. Alternatively it could be taken as evidence that if one team kicks more, and the other team wins more lineouts (as England did) a match is bound to be close to a draw.
2 Go to commentsI have been finding it odd that points per 22 entry has become such a talked about stat, given that your points per entry can be driven down by having more entries. These data would seem to confirm that it isn’t a useful metric, or at any rate is less useful than total entries.
2 Go to commentsI think the last two games England have played is some of their best rugby they have played under Borthwick. There has been a lot more attacking instinct and as a reward have created some well worked tries. Ollie Lawrence is a good foil at 12 as he offers the hard direct lines whilst the rest of the backs can play open. As much as it pains me to say but I do hope England keep playing this way. On a side note my favourite try of the weekend was Lorenzo Pani’s for the nice loop play that put him away and his finish was excellent. Thanks as always Nick.
39 Go to commentsMost exciting player on the planet right now, worth the price of a ticket.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith and Ireland live rent free in Safa’s heads. Their comments only triggers because its true. If the Boks had dismantled a 14 man AB’s, then there would be more respect. But they didnt, in fact quite the opposite, the 14 man NZ were clearly better. And the Bok have always been ordinary between RWC’s, thats why their supporters are now ‘only RWC’s matter’. They know thats BS. Its BS to both AB’s and Bok’s due to their history. But now its all the Safas have. Now we’ll hear excuses when they lose “oh we didnt have all our players available, the ABs/France/Eng/Irel were at full strength”, forgetting for a minute that its because of their own dumb policy. Oh well, makes a change from blaming ‘cheating refs’.
23 Go to commentsNo Nick, they did not, in fact, justify any ‘probables’ label. At no time did they seriously compete for the championship. Ireland led from start to finish and in the end, as a result of glaring referee errors, were never under serious pressure to lose their crown.
39 Go to commentsMoney for him, and his family, has been the sole motivator since he signed for Queensland aged 17. Why else sign for Melbourne. Tupou is poorly advised. If he’d stayed and developed in NZ he would have had a long Test career. If Leinster offer him a few more coins than he’s currently earning, he’s goneburger.
4 Go to commentsFinn. No one would say Ford had played well up until the last game. One standout performance in 5 is hardly in form . It should be a given that a 10 will control play . Not in Fords case be praised for suddenly doing so. Where was he against Scotland ,Italy. The pundits were saying how far away from play he was standing and one even said that the Ireland game was his last chance saloon to perform . Not exactly top form catching anyones eye. If he can play like this game after game then great. Keep him in . But after 90 odd caps we all know he just doesnt keep it going . By all means keep him there but the issue is that Borthwick will persist even when he plays poorly. Which is more often than not. Thats why i am concerned that Smith ,despite fab form , cannot get a game at his preferred spot. Can you imagine Ford at full back .
5 Go to commentsI do not really get why put Ollivon at 6 when he’s a 7, while Cros was the best Frenchman of the tournament, playing at…6. His only game replacing Aldritt at 8 doesn’t change much in terms of his impact. Lamaro was also outstanding in that brilliant Italian side, probably better than Reffell. So putting 2 Welsh players from the wooden spoon holders, and none of the 4th nation (Scotland) is also strange. Is it about showing that in this harsh transition Wales is, there were some standouts…?
6 Go to commentsThe events at this year’s six nations should undermine many of the arguments made against promotion and relegation between the six nations and the REC. If Italy had been allowed to yo-yo between divisions it conceivably could have really hurt their development, but if Italy, Wales, and Scotland are all at risk of relegation, with none of them being relegated more often than once every 3 or 4 years, you’d have to back all of them to muddle on through it, especially when you factor in the likelihood they’ll still be guaranteed world league matches against tier 1 opponents. Another way of looking at italys resurgence would be to say that the development model of adding an extra team to the six nations has worked, and now must be done again. Georgia could join to make it a 7 team round robin, and if and when Georgia demonstrate an ability to consistently win games, Portugal can also be added to make it an 8 team 2 conference competition. Frankly at this point I think it falls to world rugby to demand that the 6N act in the interests of the game. If the 6N won’t commit to expansion then the 6N teams should be handicapped in world cup draws (i.e. world cup seedings would not be based on their ranking points, but on their ranking points minus a 5 point penalty).
6 Go to commentsSteve Borthwick deserves credit for releasing the shackles on his England side and letting them play in a manner that somewhat resembles the top sides in the Gallagher Premiership. Will they revert to type in New Zealand in July.?
39 Go to commentsJames Lowe wouldn't get in any other 6N team. He's a great example of Farrell’s brilliance, and the Irish system. He is slow. His footwork is poor. But he fits perfectly in that Irish system, and has a superb impact. But put him in another team, and he'll look bang average.
6 Go to commentsCrusaders reached their heights through recruitment of North Island players, often leaving those NI teams bereft of key players. Example: Scott Barrett and Sam Whitelock robbed the Canes of their lineout and AB locks. For years the Canes have struggled at lock. This rabid recruitment was iniated by rule changes by a Crusader dominated NZR Head Office. Now this aggressive recruitment has back-fired, going after young inside back Hamilton Boys stars. They now have 4 Chiefs region 10s and not one with the requisite experience at Super level. Problems of their own making!
2 Go to commentsOver rated for a long time…exposed at scrum time too.
4 Go to comments“Firing me” should have been Gatland’s answer.
2 Go to commentsFinn Russell logic: “World” = 4 countries. Ireland may be at or near the top. FR’s bigger concern should be he and his fellow Scots (incl. the Bloemfontein ones) sliding back down to below top 10
42 Go to commentsMind games have begun. Ireland learned their lesson after saying they could beat England with 13 players or whatever. Still, if they win at Loftus, that would be impressive - final frontier etc.
58 Go to comments$950k for a Prop that isn’t fit enough to play 10 mins of rugby? Surely there is someone better to replace Big Mike with
4 Go to commentsFour Kiwis in that backline. A solid statement on the lack of invention, risk-taking and joy in the NH game; game of attrition and head- banging tedium. Longterm medical problems aplenty in the future!
6 Go to comments