Gregor Paul: The beast and that beauty Dan Carter

There is a common thread that links all of the great All Black performances of the past five years. It's Dan Carter being on top of his running game.

The All Blacks are a different side when Carter backs himself and is in the mood; when he finds that little bit of extra pace, that explosive acceleration and punishing fend.

When he's on, as he was in Marseille and as he was a couple of times last year and as he most definitely was in the second test against the British Lions in 2005, then the All Blacks are deadly. The All Blacks are untouchable even.

In the previous games on this tour the All Blacks had been all about structure. Carter was a massive part in that. He can boot the ball all around the ground. He can take the right options and play the sort of conditioned, coached game that wins tests.

What we saw in Marseille was the free-form side of the Carter portfolio and that's the critical difference between him and the other leading fly-halves in world rugby. The likes of Jonny Wilkinson and Mat Giteau can bang the ball long, too. They can nudge their side around the field and do what is required to secure the victory. They can't influence the game the way Carter did in Marseille, though. They can't open up holes for miles around whenever they carry the ball.

It was impossible for the French at times. They had to contend with a fizzing All Black pack that laid most of the foundations. Their scrummaging was a bit erratic, but other than that, the platform was put in place.

And from that platform, Carter did the rest. He attacked the ball flat and committed defenders. He managed a couple of outrageous offloads out the back door and there were a few times where his brute strength enabled him to stay on his feet, to spin and stumble through tackles and push the attack beyond the advantage line.

His most memorable running contribution came in the second half when he tore through a hole that wasn't there, chipped ahead at full clip and gathered and then threw the pass to Mils Muliaina. It's debateable any other player in the world could have pulled that off and the confidence others draw from Carter in that kind of form is immeasurable.

Clearly Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith responded to the contribution of Carter. Those two love it when Carter is sparky, when he asks questions of defences and creates space around him.

It's little surprise that the All Black midfield enjoyed its best night of the season as the French had no choice but to commit numbers to putting Carter down. That's gold for attacking sides as it created that extra split second on the ball for Nonu and Smith; gave them that vital half metre of space to utilise.

But there's more to it than that. When Carter is in full Champagne mode, it's the entire team he lifts. The tempo goes up and the belief spreads.

In the second half, there were support runners everywhere; all following Carter safe in the knowledge that if they hung around, their first five was going to somehow bring them into the game.

When Carter is prepared to back his instincts and really attack the line, he transforms the attacking threat of the All Blacks. There is no doubt they are a significantly better side when they keep the ball in hand, keep the tempo up and use the width. When the All Blacks play at pace and feed off the holes Carter creates, they are too good for everyone - including South Africa.

The difference between the All Blacks in Cardiff and the All Blacks in Marseille was marked. In both tests they nailed the foundations but couldn't go beyond that in Cardiff. In the other, they nailed the gritty stuff, but used that as a means to an end, not as an end in itself.

This is an All Black side that needs to have an element of expression. They were able to win games against Wales, Italy and England by being better organised and more committed at the physical exchanges. The win against France was far more than that - it came so emphatically because it utilised the dual nature of the side.

It was both beauty and the beast and Carter was the man who added much of the beauty.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY