The easy guess is Carter is still rated the No1 choice at first five-eighths by the All Black selectors. He is certainly their safest goalkicking option, which is important, and years of marvelling at his restarts suggests he can't be touched in that area either
In Friday's match at Nelson, Carter - restored to No10 - went out of his way on defence now and then, and ran okay. But it was hardly awe inspiring, unless that is what you wanted to see. There was nothing running-wise in the same ballpark that Barrett has created this year.
What happens with a bloke like Carter, when the legs can't keep up with the legend? The most simple of passes or kicks become strokes of genius in the minds of those who can't let him go. And, to confess, those same acts might be undervalued by those of us (hand up here) who don't think he has the goods any more. Our stand on the man becomes the reference point, and it takes an awful lot of convincing to change tack.
The lack of a brilliant new first five-eighths to challenge Carter since 2011 is the real story, because Aaron Cruden had fallen short of being a ruthless test assassin before injury cut him down and Barrett is indelibly cast as a super sub. Carter is a world away from the Carter I remember - and the All Blacks will struggle to retain the World Cup on ghosts. Whatever you think of his form, the Carter we see today should not be unchallenged any more yet he would still walk, or even hobble, into the test side.
I doubt he is even fully fit. As to whether Carter is hobbling, it is hard to tell. He has always run with an awkward style at odds with the peerless balance and smooth game which made him a great. But there is a large bandage on one leg and test opponents will go out of their way to give him a hammering. On Friday night, he was shaken up on one play as they would say in the NFL, a familiar sight in the twilight of his career.
Carter is 33, with a history of injuries and fading form. One okay night in Nelson doesn't suddenly change that. There are echoes of 2011. Allowing Carter to hog the position is a risk in itself. If an outstanding backup with reliable goalkicking forged under pressure isn't found, an over-reliance on Dan Carter for the World Cup spells trouble.
Chaos a win for Warriors
The Warriors league club scored a significant victory at Albany on Saturday afternoon thanks to a football game. QBE Stadium fell short of acceptable standards, as it hosted the opening match of the Fifa Under-20 World Cup between New Zealand and Ukraine. There is no way in the world that the Auckland Council can force the NRL club there on this evidence.
Problem number one was always going to be problem number one for an afternoon game. The sun shines straight in the eyes of spectators in the main stand - afternoon footy is a very uncomfortable experience at Albany. The queues at food stalls were ridiculously long on Saturday and still there by game time. My mate endured a long queue to get his son a pizza. It was cold. He took it back. The kid reckoned pizza number two was even colder.
The stadium, as it stands, simply isn't geared up to cope with its capacity. Car queues were apparently just as bad. For now, the council has put its stadium merry-go-round on hold but the Warriors believe they still face a battle to remain at Mt Smart Stadium, which is earmarked for speedway.
U-20s rise to occasion
Well done to the New Zealand Under-20 football side, who drew with Ukraine when informed predictions gave them little chance in the World Cup opener. A credible opening was vital on many levels, including their confidence. They found best energy in the final stages, stirred on by a crowd which began to realise the part it could play. The young Kiwis even had a late winning chance fall to defender Sam Brotherton, who looked almost too shocked to steer the header home. The USA are next, at Albany again tomorrow night. Yes, the stadium has bugbears. But for those thinking about going, the New Zealand side clearly responded to the home-town noise in their first game.
