Rugby World Cup 2015: This is Dan Carter's World Cup

Daniel Carter waves to the All Blacks supporters following the side's semifinal Rugby World Cup victory over South Africa. Photo / Brett Phibbs

This World Cup has one defining figure whose spirit and performances encapsulate not just everything that makes the All Blacks the team they are but also rugby the game that it is.

This is Dan Carter's World Cup now. Ben Smith, Jerome Kaino and Brodie Retallick wouldn't be far behind in terms of what they have done for the cause at this tournament, but Carter's influence has been monumental.

It was his running and passing that shone against France: his kicking and tactical direction that won it against South Africa.

Pressure football needs big game performers and it seems almost unbelievable, that even if it was only for a fleeting second and not ever particularly likely, that the selectors wondered for a moment before finalising their World Cup squad whether Carter was still the right man.

Rugby Herald: Gripping semifinal

The All Blacks wouldn't be in the final without him. He delivered one of the great performances at Twickenham.

It was a World Cup semifinal. The respective defences were almost impenetrable and from as early as the first minute, everyone could see it was going to the wire. It was always going to be a game that hinged on s small number of decisive acts.

Carter delivered most of them for the All Blacks. He ripped the ball free from Schalk Burger inside South Africa's 22 to set up the first try.

He converted twice from the touchline. Most kickers would have been lucky to nail it once from there - he did it twice.

All Blacks - Stoked to be in the final

And he dropped a goal. No mucking about, no taking an age. Aaron Smith's pass fizzed into his hands and he hit it out the middle while on the move. Set the top 10 first-fives in world rugby the same task and maybe one would be able to replicate that.

"I don't know about 20 seconds before I snapped it," he says about when he decided he was going to have a crack. "It was probably more of a psychological blow than anything. We were down to 14 men and if the Boks took points at that stage it could have been tough."

And once the All Blacks were in front, they never really looked like they would give up that lead. Carter kept them in the right places on the field and his tactical kicking was superb - slowly cranking the pressure on South Africa.

"I loved the drop kick I thought that was class," said a clearly in awe Beauden Barrett. "He showed a lot of poise with that. I am learning off him every day still. He is very valuable to this team obviously. His goalkicking...he doesn't miss many."

Fans react to tense finish

Backs coach Ian Foster wasn't sure if Carter was in the best form of his career, but said it hardly mattered. Judgement on such things wasn't relevant. All he cared about was that Carter had implemented the gameplan almost perfectly.

"I don't know [if he's in the best form of is career]," said Foster. "He's in the form we need him to be right now. For someone who has gone through what he has and then been able to control the way the team he has, it is outstanding. He's reaping the rewards of that hard work. To see him playing freely and enjoying it was outstanding."

That enjoyment factor was obvious at the final whistle. The rarely overtly emotional Carter was about as animated as he's ever been.

No wonder - he's waited four World Cups to have the chance to play in a final and now it has come. Against the odds he's managed to haul his way through the endless injuries and steer himself and his team to the final.

"It's pretty exciting you could probably see the emotion after the game," he said. "It is my fourth World Cup and I have never been involved in a World Cup final before. I can't wait to get to training and prepare as well as we possibly can. That's why we are here to try to win back-to-back World Cups."