Carter one win away from World Cup redemption
By Mitch Phillips
LONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - New Zealand flyhalf Dan Carter is now one game away from getting the World Cup monkey well and truly off his back and rounding off his superlative career by finally getting his hands on the Webb Ellis Cup.
Carter was in great form on Saturday as his composed drop goal helped turn the tide before a stripped ball set up the move that led to Beauden Barrett's second and all-important try in New Zealand's 20-18 semi-final victory over South Africa.
He converted both and also slotted a second-half penalty to move ahead of Grant Fox as his country's leading World Cup scorer.
Nobody in the sport -- apart from perhaps his opponents next week -- would probably begrudge Carter the ultimate farewell after gracing the game for more than a decade but suffering more than his share of heartache.
He was a young, peripheral player in the 2003 campaign when New Zealand went out in the semi-finals and limped off injured 55 minutes into the shock quarter-final defeat by France in Cardiff four years later.
In 2011 on home soil everything was set up for him to make amends, only for another injury early in the pool phase to force him to watch his team mates' march to glory from the sidelines.
As the highest points scorer in the game's history, one of rugby's highest-paid players and twice voted world player of the year with 111 All Black caps to his name, Carter is regarded by many as the best flyhalf ever to grace the sport.
Yet he will not retire a fully satisfied man unless he can finally play a part in a victorious New Zealand World Cup final having battled through a series of injuries to reclaim the number 10 shirt for the current tournament.
Asked if Carter was in the form of his life after another display full of confidence on Saturday, assistant coach Ian Foster was thoughtful in his reply.
"Well he's in the form we need him to be right now," he said of the 33-year-old.
"Over his career it's hard to say but to see someone whose gone through what he has in the last few years climb back in and control the team is great.
"To see him out there now playing freely with a smile on his face is outstanding."
For a while on Saturday it seemed as if Carter would have to play second fiddle to South Africa's Handre Pollard as the South African flyhalf, often compared to Carter for his style, slotted five sweetly-struck penalties but this time it was his opponent who went off injured and Carter who saw his side into the final.
"Dan is always impressive he's never average, he's always great and that's probably why he's the best flyhalf in the world," a disappointed Pollard told Reuters.
"It was nice playing against him. I thought that drop goal was absolutely brilliant and put them on the front foot again.
"You can appreciate that sort of thing when it happens - but not for too long." (Editing by Justin Palmer)
