Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:10a.m.
By Jim Kayes
Dan Carter’s tragic exit from the World Cup has many sharpening the knives for Graham Henry and his assistants over their inability to nurture a suitable back up for the 85-test veteran.
Where was the planning, is the question most are asking, and in many respects it’s a fair point. It seemed stunningly short-sighted last year that Stephen Donald was taken on the November tour and not Colin Slade or Aaron Cruden. One of those two had to be persisted with as it had been clear for a long time that Donald was only a modest deputy for Dan.
But while it would have been preferable to have had a back up who has plenty of experience, it pays not to be too hypocritical here. Many of us have criticised the coaches for tinkering too much with their starting XV and for not playing their top side on a regular basis. Had we got our way Slade would have played ever fewer than the nine tests he has.
And it’s worth remembering that Carter is a once-in-a-generation player and the gap from him back to anyone is yawning.
The Nick Evans fan club has come to life since Carter’s ripped his groin in Wellington with the usual absence of logic and commonsense. First of all Evans isn’t eligible for selection because he isn’t playing in New Zealand. Second, it was his choice to leave, not the All Blacks coaches’. And third, hasn’t his ability been garnished just a tad in his absence? Many of his fans tend to look back with rather rose tinted glasses. Evans was good, but he wasn’t great.
Henry’s likely to stick with Slade at first five but he must play Piri Weepu alongside him. Weepu is a superior goalkicker and taking over those duties could free Slade up a little bit. And there should be no reason for Slade to lack confidence if he has Weepu inside him and the experienced duo of Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith outside him.
Carter’s loss is a big blow for the All Blacks World Cup hopes but it’s not a fatal one, though things have changed. With Carter at the helm the All Blacks had the ability to grind out a win, but that’s probably no longer the case. Now they will have to rely on a backline still dripping with talent to win this World Cup scoring tries.