All Blacks veteran has overcome slew of injuries
LONDON Dan Carter used to have a wardrobe full of superhero costumes. He and former All Black Ali Williams loved dressing up in them. “Sounds weird, I know,” Carter said sheepishly on Friday.
The first costume he bought was the Phantom’s, which was ironic because the comic hero known as “The Ghost Who Walks,” perfectly describes Carter in 2013 and 2014, when one of the great rugby careers was in jeopardy of fading away under a welter of injuries.
Two of the worst were the Achilles strain during his 100th test in 2013, and a broken right leg in the Super Rugby final in 2014. When he was fit, the All Blacks picked him, but he struggled to play two tests in a row.
He’s played in less than half of the All Blacks’ tests since they won the 2011 final, which he watched on crutches after tearing his groin in the pool stage.
Meanwhile, the likes of Aaron Cruden, Beauden Barrett, and Colin Slade were giving performances in the No. 10 jersey that were making Carter less and less missed.
It’s hard to believe now, but the knives were out for him less than three months ago. Carter was as much to blame on an All Blacks side that malfunctioned badly in the Rugby Championship-deciding loss to Australia in Sydney, and his off-night followed the assured debut of Lima Sopoaga in the win over South Africa in Johannesburg.
All Blacks selector Grant Fox would later reveal that Carter’s place in the Rugby World Cup squad hinged on the second match against the Wallabies.
It panned out, and weeks later, the 33-year-old Carter finds himself lauded on the eve of the final of the tournament that drove him to keep coming back from 10 injuries in the last four years.
His maiden final in his fourth Rugby World Cup on Saturday against Australia will be his 112th and last outing as an All Black.