Carter covers scrumhalf
23 May 2006
The world’s best flyhalf Dan Carter could find himself playing scrumhalf for the Crusaders in Saturday’s Vodacom Super 14 final.
Regular No 9 Andy Ellis has been ruled out of the final with a torn medial ligament and will be out of action for several weeks.
Duncan Johnstone reports on xtramsn that one-test All Black Kevin Senio will start on Saturday, but there the champions are struggling to find another scrumhalf for the bench. Their next best specialist No 9 Matt France plays for the Marist-Albion club but has not played first class rugby.
Crusaders coach Robbie Deans admitted that Carter was a possibility. The flyhalf has played halfback at school level and was selected as a backup halfback for the All Blacks in their 2003 World Cup match with Tonga in Brisbane.
Meanwhile, Hurricanes centre Ma’a Nonu sat out training with an injured leg. He spent most of the session on the sidelines with his right thigh heavily strapped.
Coach Colin Cooper wasn’t giving too much away when he spoke to media after the session, saying a decision on Nonu would probably be made on Wednesday.
116 Comments
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23 May 2006, 15:13 pm
jonny was such a good defender that he could only he injured himself into retirement at 25. what a great defender.
londonshark,
i think its less that carter and jonny suited their teams overall pattern and more that the team was fitted around their special talents. why would you waste jonnys boot (and jonnos pack) by emphasising his weaker attacking game? and if you had one of the most rounded 10s of all time available would you strive for nothing less than the complete game?
23 May 2006, 15:52 pm
Lowkey,good point about the teams fitting around the 2 10′s.
You lost me a bit there mate. People forget that JW was a very very good attacking 10.I never said otherwise.
23 May 2006, 16:46 pm
The French FH, Michalak, can play 9 or 10 but I’ve never seen Carter playing at 9. Has he already played SH?
23 May 2006, 20:05 pm
carter is way way better than wilkonson!!! i mean he can run, get the backline away, pass, kick, goalkicking sidestep like amaniac and turn a game up side down even behind a loosing pack.. it is as to compare jouba with jaco, i mean jaco has nothing on him, NOTHING!!
24 May 2006, 02:27 am
Right boys, Carter actually played #9 most of his school career. Another interesting fact, when he was first signed by the Crusaders it was as back-up scrummie! More to do to keep him out the draft but thats the way its in the books.
24 May 2006, 02:46 am
If either the England coach or the AB coach somehow had both Wilko an Dan in his squad, who do YOU think will be gathering splinters on the bench?
24 May 2006, 04:55 am
SA’s best 10 is Brown…
24 May 2006, 10:10 am
Tackler,the players are from different era’s (due to JW’s injuries).
If I was a coach with both players (Carter and JW) at full fitness and at their peak,I would lean torwards JW.
24 May 2006, 10:11 am
107:Correct.
24 May 2006, 11:22 am
I was appalled by Mitchell’s selection of Dan in the RWC03. Still am.
But Dan has evolved. Sure we don’t see it every match, but some of the things he does are jaw dropping.
24 May 2006, 13:23 pm
Tackler – would you rather want to put points on the board or defend the points that you have? JW would fit into the bull’s 10 man bully rugby just fine. But I rate that Carter would have run circles around him, JW would have to wait for the replay to see what side of him Carter went passed. Carter goal kicking record for the last two seasons is the same as wilko’s
24 May 2006, 14:13 pm
Yummy yum yum yum.
Wrap him in chocolate and send him to me.
25 May 2006, 07:54 am
One of the differences is that we’ve already seen Wilkinson at the best he’s ever going to be.
I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Carter yet…
25 May 2006, 15:55 pm
I would not even mention Johnny. In the same sentence as Dan the Man.
It is not fair to compare an injured Johnny with an in form Carter. An even comparison if Carter was the injured one.
25 May 2006, 15:55 pm
All you JW supporters should put away those old blank and white Jonny vid’s and watch a real player perform live on Saturday.
19 Aug 2006, 22:57 pm
i dont think you could compare dan carter and jonny coz they play differently.jonny was in to kickin while carter is a runner which is preety to watch where as jonny was not , it was kick , kick, kick all the time , it gets boring.we need positive rugby , the one played in the southern hemisphere not the north which is , one dimensional no invention.positive rugby is what fans pay to see and carter suits this, followed by his teacher merhts then spencer and larkham .not forgeting honibal from sa
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