Dan Carter's greatest Blues contribution remains to be seen
Think Daniel Carter, at least in this iteration of his rugby career, and Brendon McCullum quickly comes to mind.
Not because of that tired old tale from when they were schoolboys, but because McCullum – like Carter – continued to play franchise-level sport long after his international career came to an end.
There was a headline the other day suggesting Carter was one of the poorer marquee signings in French Top 14 history. What nonsense, for starters.
But what irrelevant nonsense too.
Carter, in case anyone has forgotten, signed off from real footy by winning the 2015 Rugby World Cup title. Not every world-class or great player gets a storybook ending, but that was Carter’s.
The McCullum-captained Black Caps didn’t quite manage the same, losing to Australia in the 2015 Cricket World Cup final. The skipper stayed on for another year, eventually bowing out in brilliant style by scoring a 54-ball hundred against Australia that remains the fastest in test history.
The Twenty20 leagues beckoned thereafter, where McCullum enjoyed varying degrees of success.
From time to time a headline would surface suggesting he was past it or criticising him for a run of low scores. Of course he was past it, that’s why he had retired from proper cricket.
Sky Television have been running ‘A Week with Warnie’ chronicling the career of the great Australian legspinner Shane Warne. Among the highlights was the story of how, while Mic’d up, Warne bowled McCullum around his legs in the first season of the Big Bash League.
Warne was past it then, too. But such was his name and charisma and ability to still deliver the odd bit of magic, that the competition organisers moved heaven and earth to convince him to play.
He might not have been the Warne of old, but his sheer presence was enough to generate plenty of public and spectator interest.
Which brings us back to Carter.
Cricket can be a dangerous, even deadly, sport. On the whole, though, it tends to be kinder on the body than rugby is.
An older player, such as McCullum and Warne, might not move so well in the field anymore, but they’re not likely to get hurt.
Daniel Carter is 38-years-old and coming off neck surgery. First and foremost, having signed with the Blues, you want him to get through Super Rugby Aotearoa in one piece.
You also want him to enjoy it.
People were already excited about this competition, but the addition of Carter has taken that to a whole other level. We won’t be getting the Carter of 2005, as former All Blacks mastermind Wayne Smith has noted, but we’ll still be getting a class act.
The benefit of Warne and McCullum to some of those Twenty20 teams was experience. They’d been in every imaginable situation before and were well aware of how valuable that knowledge was to their team-mates.
We’ve every reason to expect Carter will start the odd game for the Blues. Every reason to expect he’ll have some starring moments too.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBJoRzPgmXG
But if they’re only fleeting or if he’s only capable of cameos from the bench, that won’t diminish his standing or legacy and it surely won’t impact his ability to educate those around him.
We all marvel at Beauden Barrett, for instance. All enjoy the sight of him running around defenders or placing pinpoint crosskicks into the hands of far off team-mates.
But there’s also times when you worry about Barrett’s game-management and ability to rally sides in difficult situations. Barrett’s teams can often be great frontrunners, but don’t always look so assured when trying to come from behind.
Now Barrett gets a belated, and unexpected, chance to re-learn at the feet of the master. To go back to his early All Blacks days when Carter was the benchmark for first five-eighths everywhere.
The Blues have had the talent to contend for titles for a while now. What they’ve lacked is the composure and accuracy that’s required as well.
Now, in one fell swoop, they get Barrett and Carter and an opportunity to do something remarkable.
Whether Carter’s greatest contribution to the Blues’ season comes as a player or as a mentor, remains to be seen. What’s undeniable is that his has been a great career and that it’s a treat to have him around again.
Just don’t demand too much of him.
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
51 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 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.
51 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.
3 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
51 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 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
51 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.
51 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. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. 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.
51 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.
51 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.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments