Has Dan Carter's time finally arrived?

Arguably the greatest fly-half to ever grace the game of rugby, Dan Carter has won numerous accolades over the years and won games almost single-handedly. It then seems ridiculous to think that the two-time IRB Player of the Year winner and all-time leading point scorer in test rugby has started one game of the knockout stages in the four World Cups he has participated in – and only lasted 55 minutes as France infamously knocked the All Blacks out of the tournament in 2007. Now 33 and in the twilight of his career, Carter will hope that he can remain fit and help his side to another World Cup triumph. This will be his last chance to cement in place in rugby folklore as one of the finest to ever play the game.

The last time Carter played in the knockout stage of the World Cup, it was at the same venue, against the same opposition. He came into the game with an injured ankle but Graham Henry and his staff took a gamble and decided to start Carter rather than rest him. Having not trained with the squad all week in order to recover, Carter struggled to have any significant impact before limping off injured after 55 minutes with the scores level. Without his presence the All Blacks succumbed to the French pressure, and as controversial as it might have been, ultimately lost and were dumped out of the tournament they seemed destined to win. Carter watched everything unfold from the bench, dismayed that he could not get back out on the field and wrestle the game back in his teams favour.

Four years later and Carter was back to his best, tearing defences apart at will in the pool stages. It seemed like he would play a vital as the All Blacks attempted to win their second World Cup at home and first in 24 years. But injury came calling again, ruling him out of the rest of the tournament. It was a disappointing, yet almost expected outcome. If anything was going to derail the All Blacks campaign, it was going to be Carter getting injured. Luckily, Piri Weepu and a certain Stephen Donald managed to fill the massive hole left by Carter, as the All Blacks scraped past France in the final to win the tournament. Even though Carter was all smiles during the parade after the tournament, his sunglasses withheld the regret and disappointment he must have felt.

Now here he is once more, finally ready to prove his worth on the biggest stage. It has been a turbulent tournament for Carter thus far. His goal-kicking has been worryingly inconsistent, having had a poor performance against Georgia following a solid showing in the opening game against Argentina. While still kicking at 80% for the tournament, it is the fact that he is struggling to convert the harder chances regularly. Perhaps this shows how spoilt we All Black fans are, but compared to others like Australia’s Bernard Foley or Wales’s Dan Biggar, Carter has looked slightly off-colour. Yet he is the best that we have. He may not be as good in open play these days compared to Beauden Barrett, but his kicking is still far superior. That reason alone is why Carter is still the man trusted with the All Black No.10 jersey. At least if he does go down this time, we have cover in Barrett, Colin Slade and Lima Sopoaga. But that would not be a fitting way for a player of Carter’s calibre to depart international rugby. His experience and tactical nous are simply too great to be replaced, no matter how good the backup is.

If the All Blacks do win on Sunday morning against France, Carter will have played a vital role with the boot. After years of tournament ending injuries and disappointment, the time has come for Dan Carter to stamp his mark on the Webb Ellis Cup and show the world why he is the greatest of all time. 

3 Reasons the All Blacks won't lose on Saturday

Here we go again. World Cup Quarter-final. France. Cardiff. Wayne Barnes? It's the nightmare every All Blacks fan would like to forget, but alas, here it is, back again, ready to haunt all of us once more. Mind you, there are plenty of reasons to be confident about the rematch of sorts on Sunday morning. Here's why the All Blacks won't lose to France on Sunday:

1. This isn't 2007

The nightmare is old and stale. Eight years is a long time and things have moved on. The All Blacks are defending world champions and twelve members of the current squad helped hoist the trophy four years ago. This team has the experience that the 2007 team lacked. They have been there and done that. Nothing seems to scare this All Black side anymore. This is a team that has gone a whole year unbeaten and lost a total of four games since the last World Cup. Revenge is sweet, and that's the feeling this side will be craving all week.

France meanwhile have been playing in a manner that only the French could - brilliant one game, terrible the next. They were rather tepid against Ireland in their crucial group game, but you can never rule them out of any contest come playoff time. Yet it was the way they lost that was concerning. The Irish had no troubles defending the rare attacks from the opposition, and the lack of fast-flowing, almost improvised play that the French have become known for, would have been concerning to their supporters. While they could have been saving themselves for the All Blacks, they don't look like the team that shocked the world eight years ago.

2. Depth

Probably the most important aspect of this All Black side moving into the knockout stages is their immense depth. No longer are the players on the bench lacking in experience or ability. This squad is equally brilliant from top to bottom. The fact that players like Charles Piutau, Lima Sopoaga, and Israel Dagg could not force their way into the squad shows just how talented this bunch is. It is important to note just how vital their bench has been over the last 24 months. Games have often been won by the impact substitutions in the closing stages of games, breaking through tired backlines with pace and skill. That kind of ability becomes crucial at this point of the tournament, and could just see this team go all the way once more.

3. Playing 80 minutes

80 minutes. That's the length of a rugby game. It's also the length of time that this All Black team plays their hearts out. They have been able to grind out results by continuing to press their opposition right until the final whistle, and it has become a real weapon. In 2013, when it looked like Ireland were finally going to break the hoodoo and beat the All Blacks for the first time in their history, the boys in black somehow managed to find the energy to score a try after the horn had sounded, securing an astonishing win. This kind of resilience and perseverance could be the difference against France, and is a key reason why the All Blacks will not lose this game.

So Close Yet So Far: A look at Arsenal

Arsenal Football Club. A team known for its beautiful football and exciting players gracing the Premier League. However in the last decade, since they last won the league title, they have also been perceived as a bit of a joke when it comes to transfer dealings. They have begun to turn things around in recent years - signing Mesut Ozil in 2013, Alexis Sanchez in 2014, and Petr Cech earlier this week. While they are brilliant purchases, both Ozil and Sanchez were virtually the only purchase during those respective periods. In contrast, cross-town rivals Chelsea signed Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Filipe Luis, Loic Remy and Didier Drogba last season alone, and waltzed to the title with ease. All world class (bar Remy) and all ready to fit into the team. Arsenal meanwhile signed Sanchez, Danny Welbeck (4th string striker from Man United), Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers (who play the same position), and David Ospina. Good purchases yet lacking the same quality that Chelsea received. If Arsenal had taken Fabregas back from Barcelona and combined him with Sanchez and Ozil, they may well have gone all the way. Alas, Arsenal are always 'nearly' there, just a piece away from winning it all, but their approach in the transfer market is slow and tedious and often sees them miss out on their prime targets. Currently they need a world class striker and a defensive midfielder to compete with revelation Francis Coqulian. They've already missed out on Jackson Martinez and Geoffrey Kondogbia. Ideally they should be targeting Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon or Karim Benzema from Real Madrid for the striker spot, and Arturo Vidal of Juventus for the defensive midfield position. With Manchester United's acquisitions of both Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlen, Arsenal have another strong competitor for the title. Business needs to be done quickly in order to secure signings of a similar quality. If Wenger seriously wants to win, he cannot wait until deadline day to make a move, yet such is his continuity and stubbornness, this is probably what will happen.

No 'I in Team': Why Teams Need to Be Recognised Over Individuals

It has become common in mainstream media nowadays for individuals in team sports to be singled out and focused on. These individuals often stand out as being the best in their team and/or sport. Stats are thrown around, comparisons are made to other players, both former and current, in an attempt to measure their greatness and ability. With the introduction of social media in recent years, popularity and debate has sparked online between fans and critics over these individuals, yet there is often one thing that has become blurred in the modern era. The team. Team sports should primarily be about the performance of the team as a unit, rather than the individual ability of the players.

This point could not have been more clear following the recent culmination of this years NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors played pure team basketball, sacrificing individual recognition for the greater good. By doing this they defeated LeBron James and his injury-ridden Cleveland Cavaliers. James, a two-time champion and arguably the greatest player of his generation, single-handedly dragged his team through the Finals series. He played so well in fact that the Cavaliers even won two games and at one stage had the advantage. But one man cannot beat a team, no matter what kind of ridiculous numbers they put up. 

It was strange to see that while Golden State won the series after dominating the league all season, that there was hardly anyone that really cared. They should be compared to the great teams of yesteryear, the '01 Lakers, '96 Bulls, the Celtics of the 80s etc. Instead, the media, and broadcaster ESPN especially, preferred to focus on James and his performance throughout the Finals. He played brilliantly - there were even calls for him to be MVP - but the fact of the matter is that he and his team lost. Stats do not matter if you lose, they are completely irrelevant and pointless. James knows this himself, but the media still struggles to grasp the concept. It seems a true shame that a team playing pure ideological basketball was snubbed because of individual talent.

Furthermore, an MVP comes from the winning side. It stands for Most Valuable Player, not Best Player or Best Stats. Personally I believe that being an MVP is contributing to a winning cause. While James was no doubt the best player on the Cavaliers, it was Iguodala that changed the series and ultimately won it for the Warriors. Therefore, I have no issues with his selection for MVP. I believe fans were just so surprised that for once a 'team' made the Finals and won, without a bonefied superstar (although Steph Curry was league MVP). They were based on depth and distribution and coached by a man in Steve Kerr that spent his career putting the team first rather than individual honours. LeBron is a great player, arguably one of the greatest. But individual stats don't win championships, teams do.