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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How rugby should be played.
@Shane Power: too right boy
@Shane Power: the difference between this morning and last night and this morning wasn’t weather, it was attitude. I don’t say that as a spiteful Leinster fan, I think we all want the best for our respective provinces and Ireland. All I kept hearing last night was “Leinster are playing the conditions, kicking it like a Limerick No10″.
@Shane Power: wonderful footballers
The difference between this game and the game last night is startling. Such an enjoyable spectacle and just shows how strong New Zealand rugby is when they can field two teams as good as those.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: can’t compare the Kiwis to Ireland. In New Zealand nearly every kid wants to be an All Black and a working class kid can do it. It’s played everywhere
@Conor Pocock: same number of people playing it in nz and Ireland…
@Conor Pocock: actually the most popular sport in most NZ schools is basketball currently.
This is the standard of rugby that excites the fans. 10 trys, plenty of errors and crooked line out trows that would frustrate the coaches but box-office finish. Great entertainment for a Saturday morning.
Great finish to it! Thought the north were the better team overall but the crooked lineout at the end from ash dixon lost it for them.
The first and fourth quarters were top quality rugby, bit of a dip in the middle part of the game. But still a great watch.
Damien mckenzie is an unbelievable player, other than size he has absolutely everything. Might have been a different outcome at the world cup if he was there! Rieko ioane also looks class at 13
Split New Zealand in 4
@David Byrne: A great point.
It was a decent enough game but about half the SRA matches were better.