Jordan's double steers All Blacks to 17-point Ellis Park win over Springboks

Will Jordan scored a brace and was named man of the match as the All Blacks defeated the Springboks by 17 points at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, to take a 1-0 lead in their four-match Test series.

Jordan, New Zealand’s leading try-scorer in Test rugby, helped convert two promising attacking moves into points, but it was the All Blacks’ second-half improvement — particularly in the scrum — that proved the turning point. Replacements George Bower, Fletcher Newell, and Asafo Aumua injected fresh momentum up front for Dave Rennie’s side after a testing first half.

“Serious shift of 80 minutes, love the way our boys just dug deep,” Jordan said after the final whistle. “Some guys playing here against the Springboks for the first time, got a taste of what it’s like.”

The winger was measured in his assessment of the result, conscious that the series has only just begun. “Extremely proud of our whole group. We realise it’s just one of four, but an awesome start to us for the series.”

Jordan credited the team’s ability to absorb pressure before converting their own opportunities. “Test footy, just about absorbing pressure and then being able to turn yours into points. I thought in the first half we were able to really just withstand a real Springbok onslaught — and then the second half just had enough moments to come over the top.”

Replacement loosehead prop Bower was visibly emotional after the final whistle, describing Ellis Park as a fortress that carries unique challenges. “Once that whistle blew and it registered that we’d won the test match here at Ellis Park, I just got down and first of all thanked the Lord,” he said. “It’s not an easy place to win; Ellis Park is this fortress of South Africa, and you’re playing at altitude, and you have everything against you.”

Bower highlighted the squad’s collective composure as the key ingredient. “What I liked about tonight is the boys stayed tight as a 23. We got the main messages that we needed every time we got the ability to connect, and it kind of paid off towards the end there. We just trusted our systems and trusted each other, and that’s a huge part of it.”

Despite the celebrations, both Jordan and Bower were quick to refocus on the remaining three Tests, with the series still very much in its early stages.