48 hours: Forget Mehrtens, it's Carter's time now

There was a great dollop of irony in Daniel Carter taking a hit for his team in Canberra on Saturday night.

Just over a year ago, then Brumbies coach David Nucifora started sowing the seeds of his own destruction by toying with the placing of first five-eighths Stephen Larkham in his old position of fullback.

Not only was Nucifora tampering with the career of maybe the greatest player of his generation, who had redefined how to play at No 10, he was also chipping away at his own loose foundations.

Who's to know when the Brumbies' old guard began to put heads together as Nucifora contemplated changes?

There has been little precise detail of how a title-winning coach was run out of town.

The Brumbies players are like the architecture of the capital city they represent when it comes to their own politics - great slabs of nothingness at odds with the intrigue behind the walls.

But the Larkham manoeuvre was, in hindsight, probably the beginning of the end for Nucifora.

You wouldn't dare suggest that the Crusaders and Carter are anything but fiercely loyal to Robbie Deans, or that the red and black brigade would remotely consider a coup.

But still, you must also wonder what really lay deep in the mind of Carter as he began the season at fullback.

All Black coach Graham Henry gave Carter his head at first five-eighths, leaving Andrew Mehrtens behind and giving the responsibility and vote of confidence to the younger man for last year's end-of-season tour. The rewards and prospects were obvious in Europe, including in that marvellous triumph in Paris.

Yet here was Carter back in grey territory on Saturday night, unable to exert a telling influence in his favoured position against the champions on a ground that truly tests the best.

This should have been the moment to further stoke the fires in a man who can be shy on the field, to tell him that he is in command of this ship.

Carter, who has also played second five in his young career, should have been allowed to enter the season with a swagger rather than scratching around in yet another position.

Deans' decision to play Mehrtens at pivot against the Brumbies was, it could be argued, forced by Scott Hamilton's injury and the late arrival of Leon MacDonald from Japan.

But playing MacDonald - who was on the bench - at fullback was the better option.

Either that, or have other remedies available from within the squad.

For an analogy, you don't shift the No 1 quarterback because the running back has got a sore foot.

So Carter was denied the chance to enter the season with aplomb. He even place-kicked like a man not sure of his place.

It has been hard to fathom why those on high mumble that Carter might be a top-line fullback. He has none of the glorious running power of a Christian Cullen, the maverick inventiveness of Chris Latham or Mat Rogers, and could only equal the good decisions made by the uncannily canny Mils Muliaina. Carter's potential at No 15 looks limited.

Meanwhile Mehrtens was reduced to being a sideshow against Larkham's greatness.

Defence will always be a major Mehrtens bugbear, as it will be for Carlos Spencer. Mehrtens pulled off the tackle of a lifetime in last year's NPC final - diving to grasp Tana Umaga in a one-on-one situation - to snuff out any hope Wellington had of a comeback.

But while Mehrtens may have been unbowed at the feet of the All Black captain, when the Brumbies sent a big truck his way he simply hopped on the foot rail and clung to the mirror.

In contrast, the bandage-encased and under-prepared Larkham not only carved the Crusaders up, but chopped them down. On attack, Mehrtens had none of Larkham's influence or energy as the Brumbies grew in stature despite mounting injuries.

Mehrtens appears on the slide, and Carter on the rise at this level.

Carter is not one to rip a game open at the drop of a hat in the way Spencer might on a good day. The magic of Carter's game is revealed over time, through decent defence, physical strength, control, vision, taking the right options and picking his moments to go for bust. He needs to be given that time and the chance to reach his potential.

Hopefully Deans will come to his senses, whatever the injury circumstances.

It will be in his own interests - and the Lions are not all that far away. It's time to put Carter in the vanguard by driving the utility out of his game.