Dan Carter names his preferred Wallabies 10 for Rugby World Cup 2027

The Rugby World Cup 2027 hosts have a No.10 predicament to resolve before the tournament reaches Australian shores, and one of the greatest to ever wear the number has shared which candidate has caught his eye.

Dan Carter claimed World Cup glory on two occasions in his playing career, including in 2015 when he started at 10 against the Wallabies in the final.

The trans-Tasman rivalry at both the club and international level remains a spat of brotherly love, and is set to add another historic chapter with the two nations both named in Pool A for the 2027 tournament.

Who will wear the No.10 jersey for either team in the pool stage contest is unclear, with plenty of options for both New Zealand coach Scott Robertson and incoming Wallabies coach Les Kiss.

Speaking on the latter, Carter said the coming Super Rugby Pacific season would help reveal who the most promising candidate is.

“I think you’ve got a lot of young talent, and you want to really blood those guys, you’ve still got time to give them,” Carter told reporters on Wednesday evening in Sydney.

“There’s been a lot of injuries this year for the Wallabies, and I think that’s been a big part of the reason James (O’Connor) has been called upon. He did a great job filling that void.

“But there is a lot of young talent, and Super Rugby is an amazing opportunity for a lot of those young No.10s to put their hands up and say that they want that jersey, and they want to be driving the Wallabies side in two years at the 2027 World Cup.”

Carter went on to share who has caught his eye over recent seasons in the Wallabies gold.

“I’ve always thought Noah (Lolesio) was the man for the job, but unfortunately, at key times, he’s had injuries. So, if he can get his body right and build some consistency, then for me, he’s shown enough on occasions to drive the team.

“But the fact that they’ve got three or four guys fighting for that position, similar to what we talked about with the All Blacks 10 jersey, you’ve got competition within the squad, and that’s what’s going to get the best out of the players, and that’s what you want to try and build within your environment.”

Lolesio suffered a neck injury in the opening Test of the Wallabies’ 2025 season, ruling him out of all three of the team’s Test campaigns this year.

Expanding on what about Lolesio’s game has impressed him, Carter said, “I just liked his direction.”

“When the Brumbies were performing well, it was usually off the back of him playing good rugby. So, he can influence a game. When the other team are hot on the attack or putting you under pressure, he’s got the ability to bring the momentum back into their favour.

“So, just a matter of being able to do that on a consistent basis is the key.”