All Blacks: Carter is needed more than ever

Dan Carter. Photo / Getty Images

Even as a couple of his replacements combined to deliver an unlikely victory, the spectre of a returning Dan Carter would have been an encouraging thought for All Blacks fans.

Beauden Barrett did barely enough to put his side in position for victory, before Colin Slade finished things off with a clutch conversion after the siren had sounded.

But such dramatics may have never been needed had Carter been the one wearing the No10 jersey.

After a week in which Barrett was anointed by Steve Hansen as the first choice first-five - while Carter was deemed unfit to play for Canterbury - the All Blacks' performance at Suncorp Stadium meant there would be plenty more discussion on that particular topic.

Although Barrett largely avoided errors, one handy conversion aside, the 23-year-old also did little to drive the All Blacks' attack. Imagination was sorely absent as the All Blacks, instead of creating their own gaps in the Wallabies' defence, often expected them to simply materialise.

Barrett made a couple of mini-breaks, showing the startling pace that sets him apart from others in the position, but he never imposed himself on proceedings in the way his peers might have.

Hansen will hardly be second-guessing his decision to omit Aaron Cruden - it was the only call that made sense - but the ousted pivot has in the past shown his control and ability to influence those outside of him.

And those qualities are among the first listed by anyone espousing the brilliance of Carter. Provided he does regain his health, it's difficult to imagine such a listless performance on the European tour if he's leading the way.

Against a Wallabies side that, given the turmoil in which they have been embroiled, played with predictable passion, the All Blacks were sorely missing a cool set of hands on the wheel.

But it was far from their only fault. Based on their defence, it certainly appeared as though the All Blacks were found wanting mentally in what amounted to a meaningless game. Nights when the All Blacks miss 28 tackles as a team are scarce but at Suncorp Stadium few players were spared the ignominy of seeing a man in yellow right around or through them.

Such deficiency was coupled with numerous tackles when the opposition ball carrier was allowed to continue over the advantage line, handing Australia far too much go-forward ball and leaving the All Blacks constantly on the back foot.

As is there wont, though, Hansen's men found a way. It would have been more of a surprise had they failed to conjure the comeback from 10 points in arrears.

But even if Slade's kick to decide the game had skewed to the side of the posts, there would have been no reason to push the panic button. After all, the last time the All Blacks lost two in a row was in August, 2011, also away to South Africa and Australia.

What immediately followed those fixtures? The Rugby World Cup.