Carter set to face England for last time
DAN CARTER has been asked to make one last stand against England at Twickenham in four weeks time.
The Barbarians have invited the All Black superstar to top the bill for their annual match on May 28 and so bid a fond farewell to the venue where his seven goals helped New Zealand retain the World Cup some 18 months ago.
“We very much hope that Dan will be able to accept our invitation,’’ a Barbarbians’ source told The
Rugby Paper yesterday. “As with a number of players, acceptance is subject to availability and that depends on what happens in the coming weeks.’’
Carter’s club, Racing Metro, will expect to take the defence of their French Top 14 title into the playoffs, le barrage, which start after the regular 26-match season finishes next week
the Baa-baas will have a clearer idea of where Carter stands after today’s Parisian derby.
His club, currently occupying the last of the six play-off places, will drop out of the qualifying zone if they lose at Stade Francais in the first meeting of the clubs since Racing’s abortive attempt last month to take over their local rivals. Should they make the play-offs starting on May 20, the Barbarians will keep their invitation open in the hope of a late acceptance.
Carter, whose peerless career is scheduled to run for one more season, has yet to appear for the world’s most famous touring club. He has not faced England at Twickenham since December 2012, a famous occasion when Stuart Lancaster’s squad smashed the All Blacks’ long unbeaten run with a record win, 38-21.
Ruan Pienaar is another Barbarians invitee whose availability hinges on playoffs. Ulster’s departing Springbok scrum half will hope to sign off in style by helping Ireland’s northern province reach the PRO12 final in Dublin on May 27, the day before the Baabaas’ meet England.
A French trio free of any play-off complications will feature in the Barbarians’ squad under the care of former Scotland coach Vern Cotter. Twickenham will provide a suitable last match for the most capped of the trio, Thierry Dusautoir whose 80 Tests for France included 56 as captain.
Toulouse’s spectacular tumble to third from bottom of the Top 14 has freed another 35-year-old veteran who has also reached the end of a long road – Argentina second row forward Patricio Albacete. Maxime Medard’s selection means he will line up at Twickenham at full-back or on the wing.