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Dan Carter rates his own performance in first rugby game on NZ soil since 2015

Dan Carter of Southbridge charges forward during the Ellesmere Premier Competition match between Southbridge RFC and West Melton RFC (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

Former All Blacks five-eighth Dan Carter gave himself a pass mark after his first game of rugby in New Zealand since 2015, but was not expecting to make a marketers’ dream debut for the Blues next week against the Crusaders.

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Carter surprisingly joined the Blues last month for Super Rugby Aotearoa but said he would need a few weeks to get up to speed and took his first tentative steps back on Saturday, playing for boyhood club Southbridge in a Canterbury club match.

“If anyone saw that game today, I’d say myself that I’m a bit rusty,” Carter told reporters after he kicked six conversions and had a hand in two tries in Southbridge’s 54-14 victory over West Melton.

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DC’s rates his return to NZ rugby:

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DC’s rates his return to NZ rugby:

“It’s good to make the first step in to potentially playing again. I’m not sure if I could play at Super Rugby level just yet. You leave those kinds of decisions up to the coaches.”

A three-times World Player of the Year and World Cup winner in 2011 and 2015, Carter spent his entire professional car eer in New Zealand playing for the Christchurch-based Crusaders.

He joined the Blues after stints in France and Japan, but has not played since February after Japan’s Top League was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He has also barely played in the past 18 months after undergoing neck surgery in 2019.

While many Crusaders fans good-naturedly considered his joining their bitter rivals the Blues as treasonable, there were hopes he might make his Super Rugby Aotearoa debut for the Blues next week in Christchurch.

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“Whether I play or not, I’m not too worried,” Carter added after he played the entire 80 minutes on Saturday.

“I’ll leave that decision to (coach) Leon (MacDonald) and the selectors up at the Blues.”

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M
MA 2 hours ago
How the four-team format will help the Wallabies defeat the Lions

In regards to Mack Hansen, Tuipoloto and others who talent wasnt 'seen'..

If we look at acting, soccer and cricket as examples, Hugh Jackman, the Heminsworths in acting; Keith Urban in Nashville, Mike Hussey and various cricketers who played in UK and made the Australian team; and many soccer players playing overseas.


My opinion is that perhaps the ' 'potential' or latent talent is there, but it's just below the surface.


ANd that decision, as made by Tane Edmed, Noah, Will Skelton to go overseas is the catalyst to activate the latent and bring it to the surface.


Based on my personal experience of leaving Oz and spending 14 months o/s, I was fully away from home and all usual support systems and past memories that reminded me of the past.


Ooverseas, they weren't there. I had t o survive, I could invent myself as who I wanted, and there was no one to blame but me.


It bought me alive, focused my efforts towards what I wanted and people largely accepted me for who I was and how I turned up.


So my suggestion is to make overseas scholarships for younger players and older too so they can benefit from the value offered by overseas coaching acumen, established systems, higher intensity competition which like the pressure that turns coal into diamonds, can produce more Skeltons, Arnold's, Kellaways and the like.


After the Lion's tour say, create 20 x $10,000 scholarships for players to travel and play overseas.


Set up a HECS style arrangement if necessary to recycle these funds ongoingly.


Ooverseas travel, like parenthood or difficult life situations brings out people's physical and emotional strengths in my own experiences, let's use it in rugby.

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