Wynne Gray: Carter's skills not suited to midfield

Dan Carter. Photo / Getty Images.

Daniel Carter is the best first five-eighths I've seen. He has the most complete package of skill, temperament and game management and has been able to reproduce it time after time in whatever jersey he has worn.

There will be those who remember masters like Cliff Morgan and Jackie Kyle and regale you about their mastery.

My comparisons are more with men like Naas Botha, Mark Ella, Grant Fox, Barry John, Michael Lynagh and Hugo Porta, who all wore the No 10 jersey with such distinction.

Botha, Fox and Porta were masters with the boot and had an abundance of tactical acumen, Lynagh and John brought different strengths with their attacking avenues and Ella probably had the most potent mix of weapons in his arsenal.

Sadly his career was way too brief, a skyrocketing shower of natural talent before he was gone at the age of 25.

Carter has been a wondrous talent, a godsend for Graham Henry and his troops, a gold nugget among a rich array of talent around him since his 2003 test debut.

After a start in midfield, Carter has been the computer driving the All Blacks from first five-eighths since the selectors switched his duties on the end-of-year tour in 2004.

It was probably the most significant decision the Three Wise Men made in their international partnership.

Were it not for Carter, the All Blacks would not have delivered such a magnificent record in the last eight years.

He is back playing once more for the Crusaders after his third World Cup campaign was abbreviated when he tore the tendon in his left groin.

But he is wearing the No 12 jersey and playing in midfield because he is not yet comfortable goalkicking and the Crusaders can use Tom Taylor in that role.

Now there are suggestions Carter could stay in midfield for the All Blacks series against Ireland next month if he is still struggling to goalkick.

As much as Carter's rugby gifts and resilience amaze, he should not be pitched into the midfield mayhem.

Sonny Bill Williams, Ma'a Nonu or Tamati Ellison are better suited to take up that very punishing vacancy.

There is no point risking Carter in that smash-and-bash cauldron just so he can collect more matchplay, not when there are specialist alternatives.

If Carter is fit and cleared for kicking, then he should wear the No 10 jersey, where his expertise will be far more valuable to the side.

If Carter is still troubled by his injury, then Aaron Cruden should slip straight into the job with the impressive youngster Beauden Barrett on standby, or perhaps Mike Delany if more experience is necessary.

Ideas about a Cruden-Carter partnership in the All Blacks revive memories of the 2008 experiment when Stephen Donald and Carter were in tandem against the Wallabies in Hong Kong.

Neither player looked settled and the trial was scrapped midway through the test.

Any similar ideas for the June tests should be red-carded right now.