Rugby Union
5 months ago
“There were a few conversations”: All Blacks star Will Jordan's Olympics sevens revelation
By STEPHEN FOOTE
As Aotearoa awoke Wednesday to another golden Black Ferns Sevens triumph, All Blacks star Will Jordan has confessed he still harbours some Olympic ambitions of his own.
The contrasting fortunes of the All Blacks Sevens, who were knocked out in the quarter-finals in Paris, have sparked discussions about the potential availability of All Blacks stars of Jordan's calibre, particularly in light of France superstar Antoine Dupont's heroics in crossing over from fifteens to guide the hosts to men's sevens gold, which is essentially the only accolade still missing from the NZR cabinet.
Speaking to SENZ Breakfast, Jordan has revealed he seriously considered following Caleb Clarke's lead by committing to the sevens programme for the Tokyo Olympics, holding a series of discussions with then-head coach Clark Laidlaw.
"I have thought about it," Jordan told co-host Israel Dagg.
"I haven't played a lot of sevens in my life, but I did have a bit of a think about putting my name in the ring for the Tokyo Olympics.
"There were a few conversations that went on with Clark Laidlaw, who was the coach at the time about what that may look like."
The Cantabrian likely would have been forced to withdraw from the Crusaders in 2021 in order to be eligible for sevens selection, in much the same way Clarke - who was fresh off a sizzling start to his test career - had to make himself unavailable for the Blues.
Jordan's electrifying combination of speed, agility, and skill appears ideally suited to the sevens game. But needless to say, it wasn't to be.
Ultimately, Jordan - who was only a few tests removed from his debut at the time - decided to forego the opportunity in favour of chasing his All Blacks dream.
Safe to say, it was a call that paid dividends. Jordan went on to shine for the All Blacks through their international campaign en route to being named World Rugby's Breakthrough Player of the Year.
The fullback is currently near the end of a long and windy road to recovery, having been sidelined for the last six months with a shoulder injury, and insists getting back up to his breakneck pace for the All Blacks is currently his sole focus.
But he's definitely not prepared to draw a line through the possibility of a format switch in the future.
"I would never say never," Jordan added. "At this stage, it's not something I'm actively thinking about, but down the track, who knows?
"Olympics is a pretty special event so it would be awesome to be a part of it."
Having been selected for Scott Robertson's Rugby Championship squad, Jordan will make his long-awaited return to the paddock for the Tasman Mako against Southland in their NPC warm-up clash in Christchurch on Friday.
It's a significant milestone on Jordan's lengthy rehabilitation, a chance to regain some match conditioning and put his troublesome shoulder to the test with the aim to reclaim the black No. 15 jersey for the rest of the season.
How he comes through the contest will go a long way to determining his timeline for his return to the All Blacks, who kick off the Rugby Championship campaign against Argentina on August 10.
"I think it's a little bit up in the air at the moment," Jordan said of his comeback date.
"I've got the run for Tasman on Friday and hopefully I'll play either 40 or 60 (minutes), depending on how it's all going. From there I guess it's a conversation with Razor and just figure out how they want to reintegrate me back in.
"I certainly feel like I'm not far away from being at that kind of level. Being in the group for the last three weeks and being able to train was a real bonus for me there.
"Get a good go around this week, get a few contacts in the shoulder, and then we'll go from there."
Listen to the full interview below:
