RETIRED NEW ZEALAND great Dan Carter has no doubt the All Blacks can continue their dominance despite several departures.
Carter, skipper Richie McCaw, Tony Woodcock, Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu and Keven Mealamu retired from the international stage after the Rugby World Cup win.
Despite the big-name losses, the 33-year-old Carter believes the All Blacks are well set up to build on their recent success.
“The future will always be bright in New Zealand rugby,” he told The Guardian.
“You know that the All Black environment, the All Black way of living is not going to fall over just because six guys left.”
New Zealand became the first nation to defend their World Cup crown after beating Australia 34-17 in the 2015 final at the end of last month.
Carter said wanting to be considered among the greatest of all time drove his team, who became the first to win the Webb Ellis Cup three times.
“There’s something so powerful, so lofty, and so far in the distance about the ambition, you always wanted to get there,” he said.
“It drove us on. To break as many records as we did, to do things that no other rugby team in the history of world rugby has.
“You know you’re getting close.”
Great a player as BOD was to see the send off he got in comparison to McCaw Carter and the rest of the Kiwis it’s fairly cringey looking back at that year long media milking.
It has to effect it – the best outhalf that I have ever seen by a distance has to have an effect on any setup. Think of this world cup any hairy moments against SA and Australia Carter pulled NZ through with his poise, experience and supreme skill. Factor in the retirements of legends of the game such as McCaw, Ma’a Nonu, Smith and Woodcock, this has to have a big effect on any setup. Carter may say this will have no effect, however I am sure he and no one else for that matter believes this typical type of bullshit that is spouted by all sports stars, we cannot offend anyone.
Cruden and Barrett and Sopaga to tussle it out for10, Cane in at 7 or Ardie Savea, Fekitoa for Nonu, SBW for Smith, Coles already replaced Mealamu, not a bother really. Almost all of those with a world cup winners medal already. They’re going nowhere!
They’ll still be the best team in the world without those stars but at least everyone else might be a little bit closer to them.