While I am sure those in the opposition would like to see “curtains” made of Dan Carter’s achilles, as he has all too often searched out his opponents’, thankfully, his is in good working order. Keep praying… as with this present undertaking on the operating table, it’s all about cleaning up the ankle and returning the man to his maximum.
Choose any significant context, pick any significant sphere of your life, and ask yourself what would you do, how would you cope, if suddenly, out of the blue, it was gone, ca-put, finished… all over red-rover?
Most of us fail to fully grasp and appreciate how blessed we are, and what an impact on our lives it would be, if all-of-a-sudden, such a reality came into being! Sadly, it is only when the potential is gone that we often grasp how grand a perspective we were experiencing, and how much we were planning our lives around its reality.
Before I begin to shed a tear, or a thousand, and you the reader get snared by the dustiness of your computer… the recent and successful operating procedure on our Prince of Pivots, Daniel Carter, provides a ready opportunity to reflect on the grace of his rugby genius, which has blessed the All Blacks backline, since circa 2003.
Therefore, in the following lines of prose, I am going to reflect on why I believe Dan Carter is a 10 out of 10!
It seems to be each and every year we have an overseas scribe, ex-player, or an overly opinionated talking head (that would be the overseas version of me), who decides it is appropriate to announce to all that a new “World’s Best” number 10 has or is about-to-be crowned. Rugby culture plays along, gets excited and worked up about this possibility for a time. Then… the games begin… on the field, the rugby season unfolds, the matches are won, and Dan Carter is back again, atop as the world’s best pivot… best first-five eighth… period.
If we were to go through a litany of examples, from England’s own, Jonny Wilkinson, who had gold in that left foot and left shoulder, but lead in the engine, to Ireland’s Ronan “Rog” O’Gara, with some in the Northern Hemisphere seeming to want to let their Guinness to do the talking, to Argentina’s, Juan Martin Hernandez, who, it must be admitted, does have some serious skill, to Australia’s own, Kid Dynamite, Matt Giteau, who has been regularly paraded by Aussie media as soon-to-be-surpassing the Carter standard, only to be found out in the matches where space is at a premium, and his has been bought… owned!
This list could go on and seems to be endless, with even South Africa’s Morne “Pooh Steyn” (Sorry, it had to be said… once), and this season’s new contestant, the should-have-been-Kiwi… All Black, Quade Cooper, being spoken of in such lofty terms.
However, while all these players have strings to their bow, with some more than others, and all have proven to be match winners on a given rugby occasion… with one even winning a World Cup with a drop-kick… each of these examples has at least one missing link – at least one significant area of their game that the opposition can expose, at least one area that can be seriously exploited, to the point of shut-down, removing the 10 out of 10.
While this is true in all these other examples, this is where Dan Carter does not suffer from this reality.
To be sure, this does not mean that Dan Carter is perfect in every piece of his on-field play! The man does makes mistakes and has ordinary moments.
For example, the one part of his repertoire that failed to fully fire, his goal-kicking, versus the Bokke in Soweto, is a most recent example. Yes, it is true, Dan Carter is no Robot… Although, we may want to clone him! However, the framing of such a perspective misses the point. It is in spite of these moments, and these areas, that Dan Carter is still able to assert his play, getting the All Blacks over the finish line, and in front, which underscores how complete a Union Pivot, the All Blacks enjoy!
Dan Carter has more than one bullet in his gun… He is loaded!
Whatever part of this game of Union which Dan Carter must undertake, whether it be on defence, seeking to turn over the ball, running with ball in hand, using his fend when under pressure, kicking for touch and for the posts, etc, etc, Dan Carter’s skill-set is nigh-on complete. Yes, he makes mistakes. Yes, he has the odd ordinary match… But Dan is no one-trick Wobbly, and offers so much more than any other Pivot on this Planet.
Such is his ability that when one part of his skill doesn’t quite set, reaching its required potential, he is still able to offer the All Blacks so much more in the other aspects of his game, providing a winning contribution 99% of the time (that’s my stat, and may not align with official reality!).
This is where all other players fail on re-entry.
Take away Carter’s kicking game, and he will provide you the winning edge in attack and defence in the inside channel. Take away Carter’s running game, and he will distribute, setting up his outsides. Take away Carter’s backline on the outside by trying to isolate the man, and he will run and smack you in the mouth with his fend. Take away his goal-kicking, and he will do all of the above… Break His Legs… And, He Will Break Your Face (A Little Levity)… hahahaha
Call him an All Black, via Canterbury, from Southbridge, but Carter is the complete Rugby Union, First-Five Eighth.
He is the world’s Prince of Pivots, and, in my trying-to-be-humble opinion, He will be remembered after 2011, as the BEST EVER.
And, and… apparently, he even looks good in Undies 😉
We at BackingBlack are stoked to hear that things are travelling well… after the operation, and can’t wait to see Dan “Desmond-Dezzy” Carter back in the All Black jersey, sooner rather than later.
However, before then, we are going to see a young man who has it… With “it” being what we will be discussing in our next post!
Until then, What Say You?
No, not about the Undies, but the Dan Carter Rugby brief!
Time for you to (Y) Front Up!
TYPE!
Until Next Time
iamjonnyking
