The All Blacks' try-scoring leaderboard is under siege as Beauden Barrett and Will Jordan hotfoot it towards surpassing the legendary Doug Howlett. This iconic record, ripe for the taking, has added a delicious layer of suspense to the rugby season.
Doug Howlett, the current titleholder with 49 tries, made a name for himself as a lethal winger from 2000 to 2007, boasting a strike rate of 0.79 tries per Test. Fast forward to today, and we see Barrett, primarily dazzling as a fly-half or full-back, has tallied up 45 tries in his 135 Test appearances. Not too shabby, Beauden! Meanwhile, Will Jordan, the new kid on the block, has been nothing short of spectacular, racking up 41 tries in just 43 Tests. With a strike rate hovering near a try-per-game, Jordan's stats read like a typo!
Rieko Ioane, another name that's hard to ignore, has been doing his bit on the left wing, accumulating 38 tries in 83 Tests. While we're at it, let’s tip our hats to the All Blacks’ try-scoring forward, Ardie Savea, who leads the pack among his forwards with 29 tries.
The leaderboard is crammed with legendary names like Christian Cullen, Joe Rokocoko, and Julian Savea, all tied at 46 tries. Then there’s the iconic Jonah Lomu, whose 37 tries in 63 Tests continue to inspire awe.
"Every time I step onto the pitch, I'm not just playing for the win, I'm chasing history," Barrett shared.
With such ambition driving Barrett and Jordan, Howlett’s record seems less a matter of 'if' and more a matter of 'when'. The anticipation builds each game as these athletes close in on a monumental achievement. It’s a thrilling time for fans and a nerve-racking one for record-keepers. One thing's for sure, the race to the top of this illustrious list is one for the ages, and it ain't over till it's over.