Talented Carter navigates a new All Blacks career

International Match/Barbarians v New Zealand Twickenham, 3.0: After the heat and the battle of the autumn internationals the New Zealand team have been resting this week at the Bagshot hotel that is normally England's base camp. "I think they are a rugby team," says one of a trio of Home Counties women. "Of course, we're the best in the world."

Wrong. After sweeping through Italy, Wales and France, the All Blacks were this week confirmed as number one, with Australia leapfrogging England into second place.

New Zealand are disappointed that it is the Barbarians they face at Twickenham today and not the World Cup winners England. And the 50,000 or so who have paid up to €75 a head will be disgruntled that Graham Henry has decided to field a second-string XV. But the Barbour brigade may get lucky: they may get a glimpse of the future.

Dan Carter, architect of the victories in Rome, Cardiff and Paris, rounds off his first trip to Europe among the substitutes. It could be a long time before he again finds himself on the bench. "Looking towards the future, they have made it pretty clear that they want me in the number 10 jersey," he said this week, admitting for the first time what no one else in the All Black camp has been prepared to say.

When Henry announced the touring party there was consternation in New Zealand that, with Carlos Spencer injured, the coach was also leaving his veteran outhalf Andrew Mehrtens behind and entrusting such a key role to a player with less than two years' international experience.

Henry, however, was adamant. "It was made clear to me that if my form kept up I would be number 10 for all three internationals," said Carter, who had never previously started a Test at outhalf.

He had been capped 14 times, but always playing outside Spencer or Mehrtens until 28 days ago at the Stadio Flaminio. Within seven minutes New Zealand were 21 points up. "The Italians' defence gave us a bit of room," said Carter, who took less than a minute to find the gap through which Conrad Smith sped for the first of nine tries.

"Things just opened up. It was pretty pleasing." Henry was impressed. Carter, he said, "has a huge amount of talent. I don't think he made a single mistake."

And last Saturday came Paris and the 45-6 drubbing of a French side who had overrun Australia two weeks earlier. "From the start we saw that game as the biggest of the tour," said Carter, who scored one of five All Black tries and kicked 20 points.

Two years ago Carter was a student in his first year at college when he was called up to play for New Zealand colts in South Africa. Then Canterbury picked him for the National Provincial Championship, the domestic competition, and last year he signed for the Canterbury Crusaders, becoming only the second player to score more than 200 points in a Super 12 season.

His debut (and 20 points) came against Wales in Hamilton and he played at centre throughout the World Cup. Now he's the man in possession of the number 10 shirt and people are gambling that the builder's son from Leeston will keep it that way.

Guardian Service