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After a disastrous start Dan Carter put in one of his greatest All Black performances
Dan Carter’s 2012 season for the All Blacks was one of his best as he went on to capture the World Rugby Player of the Year award for the second time in his career.
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But despite the All Blacks heading into that season off the back of a World Cup victory, Carter was returning back from the groin injury that had robbed him of being apart of the on-field team to win the William Webb Ellis.
His 2012 vintage would prove to the world that he was just as dominant as his earlier self, coming back from injury to star for the All Blacks in the first two tests against Ireland in July, winning the second with a clutch drop goal.
After completing an undefeated Rugby Championship with five wins and a draw, the All Blacks headed to Europe for their end-of-year tour.
The first test at Murrayfield against Scotland will go down as one of Carter’s greatest performances as he guided the All Blacks to a 51-22 win.
Dan carter is easily best 10 in the world! No discussion needed
— Dan Sarginson (@Sargmiester) November 11, 2012
Dan Carter the Messi of rugby #Class
— Gabriel Carroll ?? (@GabrielCarroll7) November 11, 2012
Dan carter ripped scotland apart today, what a player. In other news, good result for the ‘world-beaters’
— Craig Bowhay (@CraigBowhay97) November 11, 2012
Dan Carter take a bow, have a crown you are UNBELIEVABLE! What an inspiration to the game he makes it look so easy – best FlyHalf in my Gen!
— Chris (@chris10wales) November 11, 2012
why did I not go see dan carter when he was in Edinburgh WOW.
— Kirsty Smith (@kirstyhsmith) November 12, 2012
I can’t remember being privileged to witness a better individual display on the rugby field than that provided today by Dan Carter
— bill lothian (@Sportybilly) November 11, 2012
Carter started confidently with a couple of touches in the first minute before slotting his first three points of the day with a 40-metre penalty after a Scottish ruck infringement.
However it quickly turned south as Carter tried to look inside and play outside while flirting with the Scottish line. Inside centre Matt Scott intercepted Carter and quickly found the pace of Tim Visser who raced away to score next to the post to give Scotland the lead 7-3.
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Carter’s confidence was not dented by the turnover and unfortunately for Scotland he would turn on some of his finest form to dismantle the bullish Scots.
From a midfield line out, a damaging left-foot step by Carter left three Scottish defenders in his wake as he broke away upfield. After being tackled inside the 22, he quickly found possession again and this time dummied his way through the line a second time.
He swerved past Greig Laidlaw and dished a one-hand pass to Israel Dagg for the All Blacks first try in a sublime showing of skill.
Carter had a hand in the lead-up to more All Black tries as they built a 34-17 lead at halftime. When Visser scored his second try ten minutes into the second half, Scotland looked a chance at 34-22.
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A penalty goal by Carter extended the lead to 37-22 before he would come up with a defining play, landing a kick-pass to Julian Savea from a scrum just inside the All Blacks half which the left wing took 45-metres to the try line.
Carter would add one more try assist as an exclamation mark on the performance, ghosting through the Scotland line once again before feeding Ben Smith for their sixth try of the game.
His last conversion of the day brought up 50 points for the All Blacks as Carter hauled in 21 points and three try assists.
Former Scotland scrumhalf Andy Nicol for BBC Sport praised Carter’s influence saying ‘he has not got any weakness’ in his game.
“Dan Carter was imperious. The top players in any sport look they have time to spare. Scotland fell off a few tackles but his awareness and execution were outstanding.
“It was a pleasure to watch. He has not got a weakness in his game, and there are not many players you can say that about in international rugby. He influences a game more than any other player.”
Watch Dan Carter’s 2012 performance against Scotland
Comments on RugbyPass
Don’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to comments