It is London rush hour and darkness is falling as Will Jordan steps into the lobby of the Lensbury Hotel in Teddington.
There are no booming footsteps, nor the hulking physique you might expect of a man on course to become the All Blacks’ record try scorer.
Unlike his predecessors Joe Rokocoko, Julian Savea or Jonah Lomu, Jordan would not look out of place with the young men heading home from Canary Wharf in their city boy suits.
‘Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Will,’ he says, offering out a handshake.
He is 6ft 2in but somehow has a way of gliding in inconspicuously.
There is a bit of small talk about how his thick retro rugby jersey is perfect for the English winter and, for a moment, you forget that you are in the presence of one of the greatest rugby players on the planet.
With 44 tries in 52 Tests, Will Jordan is just six scores away from breaking Doug Howlett’s New Zealand record which has stood for 18 years
Jordan ran in New Zealand’s second try in the All Blacks’ 25-17 victory over Scotland last week
The 27-year-old full-back has the habit of drifting through the meanest of rugby’s defences
With 44 tries in 52 Tests, Jordan has a habit of drifting through the meanest of rugby’s defences, too. The 27-year-old full-back is just six tries away from breaking Doug Howlett’s New Zealand record, which has stood for 18 years. Is it something in the back of his mind?
‘It gets brought up a little bit as it gets closer,’ he explains in his South Island accent.
‘For me, I’ve always wanted to have longevity and impact in this jersey. That’s always been my main focus. It was cool a few weeks ago to check out 50 games and hit that milestone. When I finish up, I guess it would be cool to say it’s something I’ve done.’
Catching the light, the scar down one side of Jordan’s mouth tells the story of his sporting travels. Collateral damage caused by a stray boot to his face, requiring 14 stitches.
Conversation steers towards sporting instincts, and role models outside of rugby who share his sense of anticipation and the predatory ability to be three steps ahead of the game.
‘I enjoy the way LeBron James sees the game. High IQ, with his ability to move people around the floor and be a general. I used to play a bit of social basketball at high school and I got really into the NBA. Maybe there’s a bit of crossover around hand-eye coordination, reactions and the way you see things.
‘I’ve always admired people playing individual sports, too, guys like Tiger Woods and Novak Djokovic. They’re out in the arena by themselves, so how do they stay in the moment without team-mates? I’ve always appreciated their ability to be clutch in the big moments.’
With the All Blacks logo on his chest, wearing one of the most iconic sports jerseys in the world, Jordan often rubs shoulders with sporting A-listers. In 2013, their team room perimeters were breached, revealing whiteboard messages about wanting to be the most dominant team in the history of the world. They have not won the World Cup for over a decade but their environment remains a place of mystique and intrigue.
Jordan references LeBron James when searching for role models outside of rugby who share his sense of anticipation and the predatory ability to be three steps ahead of the game
Jordan revealed his admiration for how individual stars like Novak Djokovic and Tiger Woods have produced ‘clutch’ moments during their careers
While New Zealand have not won the Rugby World Cup for over a decade, their team environment remains a place of mystique and intrigue
‘There are some pretty cool opportunities you get through playing for the All Blacks. A couple of weekends ago, we were hosted by the Chicago Bulls at the NBA. We’ve had Idris Elba come in. We had the Dark Destroyer from the Chase! He’s pretty into his rugby.
‘Back in New Zealand, there’s a thing called the Black Clash where ex-cricketers go up against people with rugby backgrounds. I played a lot of cricket growing up so I go back and play in that.
‘Each year we have a wildcard. We had Chris Gayle last year and we actually batted together. I got about 10 runs so we were out there for a couple of overs. He wasn’t that keen to run quick singles because his hamstrings were a bit tight, so I was parked up down one end. You think I’d be quick enough but it ended with me slipping over and he ran me out!’
Moments like that often make Jordan pinch himself. As a youngster, he was not always on the path to rugby greatness. He played scrum-half at school and was overlooked by age-grade selectors.
He very nearly became a lawyer. When he was not offered a rugby contract out of school, he enrolled in a degree in law and commerce and spent 18 months as a full-time student.
‘Like a lot of people, I watched the TV show Suits, set in a New York corporate law firm,’ he says. ‘Harvey Specter (the protagonist) was a pretty smooth operator. I thought law would be an interesting profession to get into. I like the debating side of it.
‘I went to the University of Canterbury in 2016. We had quite a talented rugby flat. We had Tom Christie, who played for the Crusaders and has now signed for Newcastle. Another guy, Josh McKay, is playing for Glasgow and Will Tucker plays for Otago. I caught up with Tom and Josh after the game against Scotland last week. A wee bit of a reunion for our flat on Waimairi Road in Canterbury.
‘In those days, we would train twice a week at 6pm, after work or uni. It was my first year out of school when I started to make a bit of a jump with rugby. I had a go with Canterbury and then I made the Under 20s for the World Championship. Two years, later, I was with the All Blacks.
Jordan speaking to Daily Mail Sport’s Nik Simon ahead of the All Blacks’ showdown with England on Saturday
The full back admits any of rugby’s top 10 nations can trip each other up on their day, something New Zealand have found to their cost over the past couple of years
With his sharp, swerving running lines, Jordan has evolved into one of the All Blacks’ biggest threats and has been compared to their World Cup-winning full-back Ben Smith
‘It’s crazy how it works out. I finished my degree in July this year, after nine-and-a-half years. As I lined up for graduation I was thinking, “I’m certainly older than most of the people here”. Most of the guys I started with finished six or seven years ago. I’m proud of sticking through that.’
With his sharp, swerving running lines, Jordan has evolved into one of the All Blacks’ biggest threats. He has drawn comparisons with their World Cup-winning full back Ben Smith, who was nicknamed ‘Ben from Accounts’ due to his dependability.
‘That’s probably the person I’ve got the closest comparisons to in terms of styles,’ Jordan says. ‘I’m certainly not the biggest guy. Maybe more of a glider than really hot-stepping. Going between full-back and wing, you try to be well rounded in your game. That’s what I’ve tried to do, having an impact where you can. I’m not necessarily going to run over people, sometimes it’s running round them or being in the right position to link up.’
In the team’s final training session on Thursday, Jordan and the rest of his backline were peppered by relentless high balls. They fielded box kicks from Finlay Christie, with flailing arms waving in front of their faces to prepare for the English challenge at Twickenham.
‘We’re expecting plenty of it. It’s been a wet forecast all week here in London so that ties into it. It’s a strong part of their game. Watching their games against Australia and Fiji, it’s a space they’ve gone to a lot. They’ve got wingers who compete well in that space.
‘It’s become a real focus at the moment. With the law change around not being able to set up an escorting wall, it’s become a real challenge. I love competing in that space. With the way the rules are at the moment, it’s a place where you can get a bit of pay. It’s not something we’ve always dealt with well this year so I guess the challenge for us is around competing to win it in the air first, otherwise it’s winning the scraps to get the loose ball.’
New Zealand’s forward pack have been running a ‘Hunt Club’ this week to prepare for the close-quarter contest. It is the first time in recent history that the All Blacks will arrive at Twickenham as underdogs. They have not lost here since 2012. Some of their aura has been chipped away through recent inconsistencies but they remain the hottest ticket in international rugby.
Jordan (left) is braced to compete for high balls when New Zealand face England on Saturday
Jordan helped New Zealand edge past England at Twickenham last year, but they arrive as underdogs as they aim to maintain an unbeaten run at the stadium that stretches back to 2012
‘When I grew up, the All Blacks were pretty dominant in winning those World Cups,’ Jordan says. ‘Watching guys like Dan Carter and Richie McCaw. There’s a pretty strong legacy there.
‘The rugby landscape has changed a little bit in terms of how many teams are truly competitive in world rugby at the moment. Any of those top 10 teams can trip each other up on their day. That’s something we’ve found out over the past five or six years.
‘We saw that on the weekend with Italy beating Australia, us and Scotland being very tight, Fiji taking England close. We know we’ve got to turn up every week and be at our best to get a result. Certainly, England at Twickenham will be huge test of that.’
Keep an eye out for Jordan gliding inconspicuously from the backfield. If things go the Kiwis’ way, the man in the No 15 jersey will no doubt have a significant role to play.
