WILL JORDAN PUT his hand up for Test selection with two tries, including the match winner, in a pseudo All Blacks trial played under the guise of a North Island versus South match on Saturday morning.
With Covid-19 restrictions forcing the match to be played in an empty stadium in Wellington, the South prevailed 38-35.
But it was performance not points that mattered most with a 35-man All Blacks squad to be named on Sunday. The clash was played at a frantic pace and produced 10 tries with the lead changing seven times.
The duel between rival fly-halves Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett was expected to headline the match but it was the uncapped Crusaders utility Jordan who made the biggest statement.
Jordan, the leading try-scorer in New Zealand’s Super Rugby competition this year, had a quiet first half but made his mark in the second with a 70-metre try at the three-quarter mark and with time on the clock, and the North ahead 35-31, he latched on to a Josh Ioane crosskick to seal the game for the South.
WOW 🤯
— Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) September 5, 2020
The South steal the victory after this 'gold standard' play from Will Jordan 👊#NorthvSouth pic.twitter.com/G4jltO8nTE
Rieko Ioane, once hailed as a wonder wing with a phenomenal try-scoring record until dropping out of the limelight last year, has reinvented himself as an outside centre and also scored two well-taken tries for the North.
The tone of the game was set from the kick off when North wing Caleb Clarke charged 40 metres though the South side to pave the way for Ioane’s first try when he followed up a Beauden Barrett grubber kick.
And we're off! 🥳
— Sky Sports Rugby Union (@SkySportsRugby) September 5, 2020
'Outstanding' start from the North 💪 pic.twitter.com/n0cRbr0lXo
Barrett has made no secret of his preference to wear the 10 jersey after being stationed at fullback during last year’s World Cup, but by fulltime there was little to separate him from Mo’unga in the battle of the flyhalves.
Mo’unga did combine well with South fullback Jordie Barrett while Damian McKenzie, wearing 15 for the North, also showed he is still in the frame.
Apart from Jordan, Clarke, and rival backrowers Hoskins Sotutu for the North Island and the South’s Tom Sanders, much of the play was dominated by established internationals and few surprises are expected when new All Blacks coach Ian Foster names his squad.
A more difficult task would be naming a starting XV, but at this stage the All Blacks have no one to play.
Tests involving a composite Pacific side, Australia and the Rugby Championship are on the drawing board but with Covid-19 travel restrictions nothing is confirmed.
The North-South match revived what was once an important annual fixture on the New Zealand calendar.
But after 1986, a year before the first Rugby World Cup, its significance dropped away and it has only been played twice since.
South captain Sam Whitelock said he would like to see it as a regular fixture again.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “I know it would have been great for the spectators at home watching. It’s a pity we couldn’t have anyone here but that’s just the way the world is.”
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Clare and Tipp will be Some Battle in Ennis.
Waterford Limerick kk and a cracker between Clare and tipp.
Dublin hurlers haven’t been beaten in Parnell Park since March 2011. I think (and hope) they’ll take Limerick on the day.
We do have a good record there but it’s not like we play 20 home games a season in Parnell park. How many matches since 2011?
I don’t know Seán, i didn’t count. I just know we’re unbeaten there in 5 years.
Does any team play 20 home games a season in their home ground?
No but statistics can be misleading, is all I’m saying. 5 years unbeaten sounds great but a lot of our handful of home games have been played in Croke park.
Teams in sports with proper competition structures do, but that’s another conversation entirely
Fair point, I’d still fancy our chances against Limerick.
Fancy them a lot more in parnell park then in the gaelic grounds for sure!
Since 2009, they’ve played 16, won 12, drawn 3 and lost 1 at Parnell Park.
Brain dead GAA scheduling Limerick Dublin an hour after Munster Leinster kick off in the Aviva stadium. Is it wrong for fans to support two sports. Rugby has been scheduled for months now.
What are Munster and Leinster playing in exactly. I thought they were out of everything? Dead rubber match?
Up the cats
Is there something wrong with you or something, I mean in every article you type the same thing. Did you drool on the keyboard or something and only a few keys are working or what’s the craic or maybe its even crack..
Dub tipp kk n waterford
You would think they could do something , same on Sunday , clare footballers who are actually going well this year travel to newbridge to play kildare in what is potentially a winner gets promoted game followed an hour and a half later by clare tipp in ennis, the gaa amaze me sometimes
Dublin football by a distance the closest to it
I think maybe instead of tossing a coin for home venues when two teams that played the same amount of home league games that instead the 1B team gets automatic home advantage.correct me if I’m wrong but I think it’s the 2nd year in a row Dublin have got home advantage against limerick through a coin toss which seems unfair and offaly are on a hiding to nothing going to nowlan park,realistically Kilkenny would probably beat offaly comfortably no matter what the venue is Fancy kk and Waterford for comfortable wins (regrettably as a wexford supporter),hard to back against the dubs with their Parnell park record and I could see Clare and tipp going to extra time
We’ve only had two home games in the league. We’ve had to travel to nowlan park the last two years.
I think maybe instead of tossing a coin for home venues when tea
Tipp at home not Clare
Not according to the GAA’s Official Twitter: ‘CONFIRMED: Clare will host Tipperary in the #AllianzLeagues Hurling Division 1 Q-Finals (venue/date TBC by CCCC)’.
That link also says the final is on May 5th…..
I read this morning that it was on in Ennis. I guess we can t believe everything on the net!!
What link? There’s no link in the tweet I posted.
Here’s a link for you: https://twitter.com/officialgaa/status/711861952109277184