'One of the greatest all-round performances anyone's ever seen' - Dan Carter's incredible 33-point haul against the 2005 British and Irish Lions in Wellington
Dan Carter shot to superstar status as a test rugby flyhalf with a mesmerising performance against the 2005 British and Irish Lions in Wellington.
His control over the match has gone down in history as being one of the more complete performance by an individual wearing the number 10 jersey, with the then 23-year-old pivot scoring 33 of the All Blacks’ 48-points. The point-scoring haul also helped the All Blacks’ win the series, having won the first test a week before in Christchurch.
Speaking on a video published on the All Blacks YouTube page, former British and Irish Lions winger Ieuan Evans said that it was “one of the greatest all-round performances anyone’s ever seen.”
“That performance by Dan Carter marked him as one of the greatest to have ever put a rugby jersey on,” Evans added.
Lions coach Sir Clive Woodward made 11 personnel or positional changes for the second test, including moving England’s 2003 World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson from inside centre to flyhalf.
The visitors got off to an ideal start in Wellington, going up 7-0 early. But Carter helped bring his side back into the contest with two penalty goals, before he truly began to take control. In the 18th minute, Carter received the ball well inside his own half, before creating something special out of practically nothing.
He stepped Lions fullback Josh Lewsey who was up in the defensive line, before fending off inside centre Gavin Henson. Carter then ran 60 metres, before laying the ball off to captain Tana Umaga who crossed untouched for the All Blacks’ first try of the night.
Later in the contest, Carter scored arguably one of the most iconic tries of his career by placing a brilliantly weighted kick in behind Josh Lewsey. He then stepped up and converted his own try from the right sideline.
With the All Blacks up by 16 and with only 11 minutes to play, he then secured the series win with his second try of the night, stepping his way through the covering Lions defence.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry, who has since been knighted, described his first-fives performance as “amazing” following the series securing win.
Journalist for The Guardian, Robert Kitson, labelled Carter’s performance as “special”, and that “Carter’s Test will feature forever in rugby’s pantheon of great individual performances.”
“The All Blacks’ flawless fly-half is the future of rugby and no matter how spirited the tourists, a yawning chasm in class has opened up,” Kitson also said.
Another journalist for The Guardian in Michael Aylwin, also reflected on the response to Carter’s incredible showing, and how it simply had to be believed – but even then some struggled to believe it.
“The question ‘Have you ever seen anyone play better than that?’ was asked at the post-match press conference an embarrassing number of times, sometimes by the same person of the same coach. It was if we were still checking that it had really happened.”
A week later, Aylwin continued to sing the praises of Carter, who he said had “gone beyond the boundaries set by [Jonny] Wilkinson.”
“His performance against the Lions in the second Test was immaculate. Some fly-halfs are great playmakers, some are great tacklers, some are great kickers, some score tries, some kick goals – but none, certainly today and probably in history, does all of them quite so effortlessly as Carter did last weekend.”
Former England lock and columnist for The Telegraph, Paul Ackford, also reflected on Carter’s performance and how he’d outplayed Wilkinson.
“New Zealand’s outside-half, just 23, ended with a personal haul of 33-points and virtually defeated the Lions on his tod. Jonny who? Carter is now the new superstar of the global game beyond any question,” Ackford stated.
It took 24 years for the @AllBlacks to nab a second World Cup after securing the inaugural title in 1987. Where are the stars of 2011 now? #AllBlackshttps://t.co/ehM4H2mBLr
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Speaking with Sky Sports’ Rugby Retro earlier this year, Carter discussed how that match the significance of a performance like that against the Lions.
“The final whistle went and we were all ecstatic, we’d just won a Lions series and I was so proud of the team. Little did I realise the impact I had on the game,” he said.
“There’s probably two key tournaments in world rugby, and for me they are Rugby World Cups and Lions series’.
“If you want to make a name for yourself on the international stage, you have to play well through the Six Nations or Rugby Championship for maybe two, three, four years consistently, or in a Rugby World Cup or a Lions Series.
“You’re always striving for the perfect game. For me, that was probably the closest I got in my 112 Test matches for the All Blacks. You’ll never say that you’ve played the perfect game…but that was as close as I got.”
Carter went on to win the International Rugby Board’s world player of the year award that year.
Watch highlights from Dan Carter’s performance against the Lions in 2005
Comments on RugbyPass
We had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getitng to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe 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.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
55 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.
11 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.
55 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.
7 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
55 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 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
55 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.
55 Go to comments