October 31, 2015 – Dan Carter retires as a World Cup winner and one of rugby’s greatest ever out-halves.
December 17, 2016 – Dan Carter has a stinker at Scotstoun and is lambasted as a fraudulent bag of spanners.
It has been 413 days since Carter helped New Zealand to retain their World Cup trophy and re-assert themselves as rugby’s top dogs.
Carter delivered in open play and from the kicking tee as the All Blacks swept aside all comers. His final two points from the 1,598 he amassed in Test rugby were kicked with his right boot – a career first.
He was not just pinging over extras and penalties. He played like a dream en-route to their second successive Webb Ellis trophy.
Look at this reverse flick, out-the-back pass off his left hand:
Carter is now 34 and battling with injuries at the end of a trophy-laden career. He was clearly unfit at the tail-end of last season, with Racing 92, and ceded the goal-kicking duties to focus his energies on simply having an influence on the game with ball in hand.
Having won the Top 14 title last season, Racing are up against it in 2016/17. Their home form is decent but they have been handed a few beatings away from Paris.
They are now doomed in the Champions Cup, having lost twice to Glasgow Warriors in the space of a week. Carter did not have his finest game last night as Racing were bounced by the Scots.
Starting as outhalf, Carter received the ball 19 times and did not make a single carry. 15 times, he passed the ball on. He kicked possession away, and for the lines, on the four other occasions.
Is our stats machine broken? @racing92's Dan Carter bows out on the hour mark after one of his quieter games. #ChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/p4IBLtUyke
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) December 16, 2016
In comparison, Warrior’s No.10 Finn Russell had one of those games.
The Scotland international put himself into the Lions picture by making 81 metres in gains off 14 carries that included four clean breaks, 10 defenders beaten, three offloads and a try assist. He also kicked eight points.
Carter’s career stats were an all-time low but the stick he took online, from rugby fans to Times rugby writer Stephen Jones, was plain hysterical.
Theory that Dan Carter seen as truly great player because he played in great side gains yet more weight in non-performance against Glasgow
— Stephen Jones (@stephenjones9) December 16, 2016
What a treat to have a world-class fly-half appearing at Scotstoun, strutting his stuff.
Also nice of Dan Carter to come along too.
— Mike Sutherland 🏴 (@vern_cotter) December 16, 2016
When Finn Russell got home last night he emptied his pockets and checked everything was there:
Keys ✅
Phone ✅
Dan Carter ✅
— Pen (@thepenGW) December 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/bchanakira2/status/810061004763791360
Despite the hurt of Racing’s loss, Carter was a gent after the game as he posed for pictures with fans and signed autographs.
Thank you so much @DanCarter for the picture with my son. I really appreciate it. #Legend pic.twitter.com/zayRl6e2LI
— Pen (@thepenGW) December 16, 2016
It will be interesting to see if Carter will feature from the start in Racing’s back-to-back January games with Munster, now that Champions Cup glory is off the agenda.
