Dan Carter and 2015

Carter’s injury has reinforced to most outsiders – out of hope if nothing else – that NZ is vunerable when either of the big two are taken out of the equation. However with a win ratio of 77% when both are missing, I’m still confident that our boys will do the job.

What next for Carter? The stage was set for him to confirm what we all know; he is light years better than the next best 10 in the game. He will probably go down, depending on who you speak to, as possibly the greatest flyhalf and player ever in the game. To those who say, “he hasn’t won a world cup” let me tell you this. Barry John didn’t. Colin Meads didn’t. Danie Gerber didn’t. We so easily see performance in the WC as a barometer for greatness nowadays, but this guy has performed time and time again when it counts. Don’t forget, the All Blacks were comfortably leading France in 2007 when Carter came off, what went wrong on that day was not down to him. His greatness for me is confirmed, a once in a generation player who even when he isn’t playing as well as we want him to still has the ability to make everyone else look ordinary.

The end might not be nigh on his bid for a WC. When I look at other countries what I see is most top teams having the ability to shuffle the flyhalf maybe to suit a horses for courses approach; O’Gara and Sexton, Flood and Wilko, Jackson and Parks, Priestland and Jones, Steyn and Lambie. NZ banks heavily on Carter to do the job, he can’t stick around for ever but he did sign a contract extension to take him through to the next WC. It could benefit NZ in a remarkable way too…

NZ has to think about the future in this position. Slade has got his chance now. Should NZ win, then Slade should get more of a chance to run the ship. If not Slade then I am sure in the next four years someone else will come through the way Fox, Merhtens, Spencer and latterly Carter has come through. If this forces Carter to the bench in say 2013-2014 then to me that is one hell of a player with a lot of knowledge to have on the bench. An insurance policy if you like. Someone to go to if the ship need steadying.

Carter’s outlook is one of positivity. His first action after enduring a personal setback was to send Slade a text backing him fully. Carter could possibly be joining the setup as a analyst/coach to help with the flyhalves. This could be allowed if there are spaces available - it has to for NZ's sake as he is such a humble, team player much like Wilkinson is for England. I’m hoping he comes back stronger than ever from this with a big point to prove in 2015.

In the meantime, I’m still backing black.

I'm absolutely gutted for Carter.

"The stage was set for him to confirm what we all know"
I don't think he needs to confirm anything, he is the best 10 I have ever seen, and I have seen many.

"that NZ is vunerable when either of the big two are taken out of the equation"
New Zealand is still going to win, there is really very little doubt in my mind.