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.
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