Will Jordan embraces Aaron Smith after the Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Ireland. Photo: ©INPHO/Billy Stickland
All Blacks wing Will Jordan has scored eight tries at the World Cup so far, matching the single tournament record set by Jonah Lomu in 1995, Bryan Habana in 2007 and Julian Savea in 2015.
He now has the chance to claim the outright record in next weekend's final against South Africa.
"It's pretty humbling to be honest," Jordan says.
"When you think about those guys, they're all huge legends of the game and guys who have really trailblazed the way to play the game as a winger. It's pretty cool [to match their record].
"It's definitely not something I set out to do or anything like that but it's nice to be able to do that in amongst the team going so well."
Will Jordan scores the first try in the 2023 Rugby World Cup semi-final match between Argentina and New Zealand at the Stade de France. Photo: AFP / Anne-Christine Poujoulat
Jordan scored a hat-trick of tries in the 44-6 semi-final win over Argentina on Saturday and he believes the All Blacks are riding a wave of confidence and momentum as they head towards the World Cup final in Paris on Sunday morning (NZT).
He knows that won't win them the title on its own, but he believes it should help.
"We're in a pretty good space. You take each week as it comes and you don't get too far ahead of yourselves, but at the same time it's nice to have a bit of confidence and form behind you and the boys are combining well and we've had some combinations that have been together for a few weeks now.
"We're happy with where we're at."
While Jordan admits taking the outright record for tries scored at a single World Cup would be "cool", he'd much rather the All Blacks won the title.
"The World Cup win is obviously what we all came over here to do, so I'll be perfectly happy to take a zero on the scoresheet if it means we get the job done.
"It's cliche but it's obviously a team game and the group is really focused at the moment around what we want to do, so hopefully I can play my part in that."
Will Jordan of New Zealand scores his team's seventh try during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 semi-final match between Argentina and New Zealand at Stade de France Photo: Shaun Botterill
Jordan now has 31 tries in 30 tests and All Blacks defence coach Scott McLeod believes the wing has a special attribute.
"He's so good at finishing because he can see the picture early. He can understand where the space is and where it's going to be and then positions himself really well so that when he does get the ball he understands what he has to do," McLeod says.
"Players around him are now starting to read off him as well, they get excited when he gets the ball and he can create something out of nothing so they get ready for that.
"But also if you take the ball to a different part of the field and take all the defenders over there and then try and quickly get it to him then he can pretty much make something out of nothing."
Scott McLeod during the All Blacks v Namibia World Cup pool match in Toulouse, on 8 September. Photo: Thierry Breton
McLeod believes the biggest challenge they face will be making sure they don't overdo their preparation and use up too much energy early in the week.
"Players will be excited from the start of the week, so just making sure that we stay in the moment, stay in the day and just get across the content and the plans and pull the reins back a little bit and make sure that we arrive on game day with loads of energy and ready to go."
Argentina failed to score a try in the All Blacks' big semi-final win and McLeod said that's a reflection of the team's improvement.
He's adamant the All Blacks are a much more cohesive unit on defence than they were last year.
"In pressure moments the boys are trusting each other and trusting what we're doing," he said.
"Particularly in defence when players don't trust and you go out on your own, then it creates a little bit of space or puts the system under pressure. So just trusting themselves and each other and what we're doing [has been key]."
Head coach Ian Foster, McLeod, scrum coach Greg Feek and assistant Joe Schmidt will all finish up their time with the team after the title decider, as will several players.
McLeod insists that's not on his mind and he believes it would be a trap for the departing coaches and players to spend too much energy thinking about the end of their All Blacks careers ahead of the World Cup final.
He said they must live in the present.
"A lot of us have never been to a World Cup final and it's something we all strive towards and we want to achieve, so we just have to enjoy it.
"The emotion will take care of itself. It will mean different things for different people and it's just about embracing it and enjoying it and staying in the moment."
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster (centre) and Assistant coach Scott McLeod (right0 during an All Blacks v Wallabies match at Eden Park in 2022. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
