WILL JORDAN, the newly crowned World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year has said that the All Blacks are keen to improve their ingame management after the recent 29-20 loss to Ireland.
Ireland, according to many rugby pundits, played the best they have ever played against the All Blacks. Andy Farrell's side had all the territory and possession stats in their favor and even forced the Kiwi's into unfamiliar unforced errors.
New Zealand then were bested by an excellent France team in a blockbuster test match in Paris. They ended the season with 12 wins and three losses, an unusually star when it comes to the Southern hampshire team's high standards
Will Jordan, take a bow! 👏
Sensational try 🙌#IREvNNZLpic.twitter.com/IjVRt0EAWL— Ultimate Rugby (@ultimaterugby) November 13, 2021
Jordan spoke on former Hurricanes player James Marshall’s What A Lad podcast and gave an insight into what went wrong against the Irish.
“Game management was a pretty big one, particularly off the back of that Irish test,” Jordan said.
“I guess, as a team, we haven’t reviewed that French game too much, just because we flew out the next day, but, particularly the Irish game, I thought the Irish were outstanding in that game.
“They really threw it at us and I think it was 170 tackles or something in that first half. We were sort of holding on for dear life, so it was just about, ‘How can we hold more balls and be more and be more effective when we’ve got it?’
“Because any time you have to make 170 tackles in a half, then it’s going to be reasonably tough going.”
Jordan however did win World Rugby breakthrough player of the year, beating the likes of Louis Rees-Zammit, Marcus Smith, and Andrew Kellaway.
Jordan scored an astonishing 15 tries in just 11 games for his country this year. These did come against the likes of minnows Tonga and the USA, but did score against tougher opposition like Wales and Ireland, Australia and South Africa.
Dublin , Ireland - 13 November 2021; Will Jordan of New Zealand (Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)