Will Jordan grabs try-scoring record as All Blacks hammer Italy in Nations Championship

Will Jordan grabs try-scoring record as All Blacks hammer Italy in Nations Championship

Will Jordan has become the all-time leading try scorer for the All Blacks, netting a hat-trick to eclipse the long-standing record held by Doug Howlett. The achievement came during a 47-17 victory over Italy at Wellington Regional Stadium on Saturday, 11 July 2026, in front of a sold-out crowd of more than 33,000 fans.

Jordan reached the milestone in his 56th Test, scoring his 48th, 49th, and 50th tries during the match. After touching down once in the first half, Jordan scored twice in a three-minute window after the break to secure the record. Following his 50th try, the 28-year-old performed a shark-fin celebration. Jordan now surpasses Howlett's tally and moves ahead of other notable scorers such as Joe Rokocoko and Julian Savea, who both recorded 46 tries, and Beauden Barrett, who has 45.

The result gives new All Blacks coach Dave Rennie back-to-back wins in his first matches in charge. This follows a 34-32 victory over France in Christchurch a week ago.

Despite the final score, the match began as a contest. Italy took an early 7-0 lead after five minutes when center Tommaso Menoncello scored the first try of the game following a missed tackle by New Zealand midfielder Billy Proctor. The All Blacks responded when lock Sam Darry barged over from close range, with first-five Ruben Love adding the conversion to level the score at 7-7.

Italy continued to pressure the hosts, earning a penalty that Tommaso Allan converted to give the visitors a 10-7 lead in the 20th minute. New Zealand struggled with basic errors and poor handling during the early stages, though they regained the lead in the 30th minute. Wing Leroy Carter collected a grubber kick and passed inside to Jordan for a converted try, leaving the score at 14-10 at half-time.

The second half saw the All Blacks assert dominance. Shortly after the restart, Cam Roigard scored a converted try following a break by Josh Moorby. Moorby had entered the game on his 28th birthday to replace Leroy Carter, who suffered a suspected shoulder injury. Another uncapped player, Blues loose forward Anton Segner, also debuted in the second half, becoming the first German to play for the All Blacks.

Prop Ethan de Groot added an unconverted try to push the lead to 26-10 before Jordan completed his hat-trick to bring the score to 40-10 with 15 minutes remaining. Italy's efforts were hampered by the dismissal of Niccolo Cannone in the 52nd minute. The Television Match Official upgraded a yellow card to red after Cannone head-butted Cameron Roigard at a ruck.

Even with a player sent off, Italy managed a late try through replacement Leonardo Marin, cutting the deficit to 40-17. Ruben Love briefly received a yellow card for a professional foul with 10 minutes left, but the TMO overturned the decision. Tupou Vaa'i scored after the full-time siren to seal the final 47-17 result.

The loss leaves Italy with a 0-2 record in the Nations Championship, having also been defeated 27-10 by Japan last week.

New Zealand will conclude their July Nations Championship schedule next week with a match against Ireland at Eden Park.