Will Jordan has dragged Doug Howlett’s All Blacks try record into immediate range after turning New Zealand’s wild 34-32 Nations Championship win over France into another finishing clinic.
The official All Blacks match report confirmed Jordan’s two tries moved him to 47 Test scores, second on New Zealand’s all-time list and just two short of Howlett’s national benchmark of 49. In a match New Zealand nearly let drift, that detail is not cosmetic. It is the cleanest proof that Dave Rennie’s first All Blacks side already has one elite constant.
Jordan Gives Rennie A Reliable Finishing Edge
New Zealand did not control this opener neatly. France scored inside two minutes through Damian Penaud, Ruben Love was yellow-carded in the same sequence, and the visitors kept finding width through Maxime Lucu, Matthieu Jalibert and Theo Attissogbe.
That made Jordan’s first intervention more valuable. Ardie Savea’s quick tap and Jordie Barrett’s long pass gave him the corner, and Jordan finished the type of chance that turns pressure into scoreboard control. Sky Sports’ match detail also recorded Jordan’s second try in the 71st minute, a score that pushed New Zealand out to 34-25 before Jalibert’s late reply dragged France back within two.
The sequence also showed why Jordan’s value travels beyond raw pace. His timing off inside support, especially for the second score, gave New Zealand a route out of the loose phases France had been forcing all afternoon.
The Record Chase Is Now A Selection Issue
Jordan is no longer merely compiling spectacular numbers. At 47 tries, he has made every New Zealand selection conversation feel less flexible on the wing. Rennie can rotate elsewhere, experiment with Ruben Love at 10, or manage Damian McKenzie’s role at full-back, but leaving out Jordan now means removing the one player most capable of converting imperfect possession into seven-point damage.
That matters because ReadRugbyUnion’s All Blacks player ratings from the France match underlined the same split: New Zealand were dangerous, but not tidy. The lineout stuttered, France’s tempo stretched the defensive spacing, and the hosts still needed late accuracy to survive.
The record chase therefore becomes more than a statistical subplot. If Jordan reaches Howlett across this Nations Championship block, it will happen inside a side still learning Rennie’s attacking language. That gives the milestone sharper value: he is producing record-level output before the system is settled.
France Warning Keeps The Hype Honest
France deserve to be part of the analysis, too. They arrived without several top-club stars, yet still pushed New Zealand to the final possession in Christchurch. The World Rugby match centre listed Luke Pearce as referee and confirmed the fixture as the opening Nations Championship match at One New Zealand Stadium, but the wider picture was more uncomfortable for the hosts: France made the new competition look credible from minute one.
For Jason Ryan and the All Blacks forwards, the next step is obvious. Jordan can keep covering cracks with elite finishing, but New Zealand cannot keep relying on a winger’s historic strike-rate to settle matches that should already be under control.
Howlett’s record is close. Jordan’s bigger job is making sure the chase does not become the only clean line in a messy new All Blacks era.
