Will Jordan: All Blacks squad return marks end of difficult recovery

Will Jordan is back in the All Blacks squad after injury. Photo / Photosport

Returning All Black Will Jordan said the mental toll of his long recovery from a shoulder injury has been tough.

“You have the ups and downs and different periods of motivation. Now, as I get closer to playing, you start to dial in the mental a bit more, kind of trusting that your shoulder is in a good place.”

Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking, Jordan said he was confident the mended shoulder would be “able to take the bumps and bruises that come with playing rugby”.

Jordan was named in Scott Robertson’s All Blacks squad for the Rugby Championship on Sunday, after missing the Super Rugby Pacific season to have surgery to address a pre-existing shoulder injury from last season.

“It’s been a wee while in the wilderness this year,” Jordan said. “A bit of a long road back from the shoulder injuries.”

He said his ability to train had been restricted, with his arm in a sling for six weeks after the operation.

“The first five or six weeks, once I got that off, the shoulder wasn’t able to get through too much range or too much strength work.”

He said he couldn’t pass the ball properly when he first returned to training.

“The first three or four months are pretty slow going, just building into the rehab and some light weights.

“Over the last month or two, I’ve been able to train with the team a bit more and then finally the last two or three weeks back into full-contact training.”

The All Blacks play Argentina in Wellington on August 10, and face a stern challenge with two matches in South Africa on September 1 and 8.

Jordan said he’d been impressed with how the All Blacks had started their first season under Scott Robertson, particularly with the impact of bench players in the series against England.

“I think to come away with two wins against them was a real credit to the group.

“It’s always a huge thing to be able to win those test matches and when it comes down to the last 10-15 minutes, being able to find a way it’s hugely important. I was pretty impressed with that bench in that space and how they were able to come on and create a real impact.”