Carter glad 'brutal Boks' are gone
Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:42
The All Blacks' shining light Daniel Carter will be relieved to switch his focus to the Wallabies after enduring a second weekend as the Springboks' favourite rugby target.
Carter's impeccable boot threatened to single-handedly beat South Africa in Saturday's Tri-Nations Test at Carisbrook at the weekend, but he proved he was human with two late dropped-goal misses as the South Africans clung to a famous 30-28 win, reports the NZ Herald website.
Before turning attention to his 50th Test, against Australia in Sydney in two weeks, New Zealand's gun playmaker reflected on a Tri-Nations Test that he believed his team let slip.
He was also irritable at being singled out for more niggling treatment from the Springboks, even if it wasn't as blatant as during the first Test at Wellington the week before.
"There were still a few situations there and the touch judge and ref picked up a few - a bit of off-the-ball play," Carter told the Herald.
"It is frustrating when you're looking to support after a pass and you're getting knocked over. That happened a few times again but that's just the way they play.
"They really concentrate on intimidating you physically. It's always been a part of their game, more so than other teams."
The Springboks' in-your-face approach and the sizzling late try to their scrumhalf Ricky Januarie proved the difference in a Test where Carter kicked 23 points.
With the rebuilding All Blacks crossing for just two tries in 160 minutes against South Africa, Carter shapes as comfortably the major threat to the Wallabies.
The 26-year-old will appreciate not having the same smothering green line in front of him although felt the All Blacks could have overcome it if they didn't stray when the heat went on.
"We've got to stick to the game plan a bit better. We can't keep giving them line-outs and easy penalties like we did or else you get punished," he said.
"We had to keep the ball in play but at times we didn't and that's what they function off, line-outs."
There were times when Carter felt his side could put the world champions away for a second week but they paid for slackening off during crucial periods.
"That's something we've really got to work on. Once you get ahead you've really got to nail it," he said.
"We kept letting them back in the game with silly penalties."
While Carter controlled another mostly impressive outing for the All Blacks backs, the inexperienced pack lacked authority against a South African forward display vastly improved from Wellington.
Locks Anthony Boric and Kevin O'Neill, boasting two caps between them, struggled to combat Victor Matfield at line-out time while the Springboks' scrum and driving play was streets ahead of Wellington.
"It is a young All Blacks side and we'll learn a lot and look to bounce back from this," Carter said.
"The way we played in the second half was real credit to a lot of new, young faces out there."
However, replacement No.8 Sione Lauaki, who scored New Zealand' only try, believes inexperience should never be an excuse used by the All Blacks.
"You can't really say it's a young team and stuff like that," Lauaki said.
"When you pull on the black jersey it's no excuses. You've just got to be proud and just man up." Hansen disagreed, believing the likes of Boric and O'Neill would never forget the game.
"You just can't buy time in the saddle," Hansen said.
"Both the boys showed a lot of courage. We've just got to get them out there and play and that game will be worth 1000 training runs to them probably."
Matfield sounded a warning to New Zealand and Australia that his side had refocused their goals after the previous week's disastrous display in Wellington.
Adding to the trophy cabinet is suddenly a genuine goal.
"We're very proud of the World Cup last year. We'll be world champions for four years but that's a competition that's in the past and we need to focus on winning the Tri-Nations," Matfield said.
All Blacks backs coach Wayne Smith said Januarie's try only served to highlight the Springboks' ability to strike in a team who base their play around forward muscle and swarming defence.
"They made a brilliant play at the end and came out with the spoils," Smith said.
"We've got young men playing under intense pressure, who I think fronted and played pretty well.
"You'd like to be able to shut them down at the end but they got a couple of bounces, they scrambled the ball away and all of a sudden you're under a bit of pressure."
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