Daniel Carter

New Zealand’s production line of outstanding first five-eighths might not quite match what used to be called the Welsh fly-half factory, which encompassed a number of champion players in the number 10 jersey like Cliff Morgan and Barry John. Yet there have been many fine footballers at first five in the All Blacks sides, especially in modern times when there has been the likes of Grant Fox, Frano Botica, Andrew Mehrtens and Carlos Spencer.

There is little argument, though, that the greatest of all, perhaps from any country, has been Daniel Carter, who over the past eight or so years has made the position his own. Where most other first fives, even the best of them, have a weakness or two, tackling perhaps being the most obvious, Carter has been near faultless in every department. He can attack, make a break, kick tactically and accurately at goal, and be brave and unyielding on defence. And he generally controls a game superbly by nearly always taking the right options. He is naturally a left footed kicker, though he can when forced to do so use his right, so effectively, indeed, that in his early career one television commentator assumed that was his preference.

It is another measure of Carter’s football quality that he has shown repeatedly his ability to play with almost equal effectiveness in other positions, particularly the midfield. Indeed, in his early seasons with Canterbury, the Crusaders and the All Blacks, with players like Aaron Mauger, Mehrtens and Spencer available, most of his matches were at second five.

He had first emerged as a first five with exciting potential with the 2002 New Zealand colts side in South Africa, but even then his opportunities might have been limited had it not been for injuries to other inside backs in that squad, Cameron McIntyre, and Luke McAlister. Carter’s first stint as the All Blacks’ first choice in the pivot position came on the 2004 end-of-year tour when he appeared in all three internationals.

His biggest impact came in the 2005 series against the touring British and Irish Lions, especially in the second test in Wellington when his performance produced banner newspaper headlines: “The Perfect Ten.” In that match Carter scored 33 points from two tries, four conversions and five penalties and had even British critics gushing with superlatives. Since then Carter has been an automatic selection at first five, and almost universally acclaimed as the world’s best in the position.

By 2012 he had carried his tally of tests to 94, and an extraordinary total of 1385 points, placing him well ahead of other prolific test scorers, Mehrtens (967 in 70 tests) and Fox (645 in 46 tests). If Carter has a weakness it is in drop kicking for goal. But he has worked on this aspect of his game and by the end of 2012 he had six to his credit in tests, even if he missed narrowly with one attempt which would have given the All Blacks a win against the Wallabies in Brisbane.

His career has run almost parallel with another superstar, Richie McCaw. They not only have played for the All Blacks together, but with the same province, Canterbury, even if their appearances have been in recent seasons only sporadic, and with the same Super franchise, the Crusaders. Together, they have shared in many triumphs with all those sides. They also have in common, the fact they are both country boys, with Carter having grown up in rural Canterbury in Southbridge, a township nearly 50kms from Christchurch. Neither, too, was an instant success at teenage levels and neither made the national secondary schools side. But as with McCaw, once he had been recognised, in Carter’s case with the colts in 2002, his worth was immediately obvious.

He, too, has his share of knockbacks and disappointments and a long list of injuries. He probably should not have taken the field for the 2007 World Cup quarter-final disaster against France at Cardiff, and his 2011 World Cup was wrecked by a groin injury. He had just two of the pool games, one against France when he was at his consummate best, and suffered the double blow of missing the captaincy when ruled out on the eve of the match against Canada. Injuries were a factor, too, in 2012, but in a number of internationals he almost reached the levels of his legendary 2005 match against the Lions.