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'Everybody talks about the big return of the star... but he's a 37-year-old taking the place of a young Frenchman'

By Online Editors
Dan Carter. (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)

Racing has strenuously rebuffed criticism within France about their re-signing of Dan Carter, who is expected to make his comeback debut for the club in their March 23 home Top 14 game against Bordeaux.

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The former All Black, due to check-in at the Racing training ground between March 8 and 15, generated many headlines when it was announced he would be returning to the Parisian club on a short-term deal as a medical joker replacement for the retired Pat Lambie.

However, the fanfare surrounding his return from Japan wasn’t universally acclaimed. Carcassonne coach Christian Labit led the chorus of disapproval, making some very tough remarks that have now been challenged by joint Racing boss Laurent Labit.

“Everybody talks about the big return of the star whereas it’s a guy of 37 years old who will take the place of a young Frenchman,” said the Carcassonne coach.

“I take offence to those who boast of singing these men and who advertise that it is the messiah who arrives. I would have preferred, if we are Racing, that we take the small number 10 and prepare it, but we prefer to be reassured by going looking for Carter. It annoys me.”

(Continue reading below…)

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Racing’s Labit hit back at his namesake’s criticism, telling Midi Olympique: “In French rugby, everyone gives advice to everyone but does not apply to himself.

“Frankly, when I see Carcassonne, who are 10th in Pro D2, I wonder… Karena Wihongi, whom I know well, is 40 years old and Josh Valentine, their Australian scrum-half, is 36 years old.

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“To play in 10th place of Pro D2, I think that Christian Labit would do just as well with French players.”

Carter’s arrival in Paris will be perfectly timed for his inclusion in Racing’s push for Champions Cup glory as their quarter-final at home to Toulouse is scheduled for March 31.

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J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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