IT HAS BEEN described as the complete performance, and even to this day the masterclass Dan Carter delivered in the second Test of the 2005 Lions tour remains scarcely believable.
Not only did Carter orchestrate an emphatic All Black victory, one which secured the series, with two tries and a tally of 33 points but his display is widely regarded as one of the finest ever in the famous jersey.
Then 23, the out-half firmly announced himself on the global stage and established himself as the world’s best 10 as he tormented Clive Woodward’s Lions with an array of audacious skill, flawless place-kicking and a swagger rarely seen before.
From there, Carter and that golden generation of All Blacks headed on an upward trajectory, eventually winning back-to-back World Cups in 2011 and 2015, and he believes that Lions victory paved the way for the success which followed.
“For me personally yeah [it paved the way for greatness], and I was a little bit naive back then to understand how big a Lions series was,” he said during a visit to Ireland yesterday.
“We travelled here [Ireland] in 2004 for the Autumn Tests and normally when you do some media they talk about the Test match coming up, but all the interviews were about the Lions series coming up the following year and that’s when I realised how big this Lions series is and wanted to be a part of that.
“And then when that Lions series did come around, everything in and around it was just at another level and to me it felt like a stepping stone to stamping my name on the world stage.
“I’m sure it was the same for the other players but it is something so unique and so special to an All Black because you’re very lucky to play in a Test series in your career, it’s so rare that you want to make the most of it.”
Carter suggests it will be the same for the current squad, and the legacy of Steve Hansen’s record-breaking side would be tarnished somewhat if they were to slip to a series loss this summer.
“This team has been hugely successful over the last couple of years and they’re all about making history, doing things that teams haven’t done before, and there’s no better way to add to their legacy and what they’ve created than beating the Lions,” he continued.
“They’ll be wanting to do that in all three Test matches and it almost takes a bit of a shine off everything they’ve achieved in the last couple of years if they don’t. So there’s a lot of pressure, especially back home, and that expectation and that pressure if they don’t achieve that.”
While there is a pressure there, Carter is confident the All Blacks will get the better of the tourists over three Test matches, although he believes the Lions are likely to present a much improved proposition by the time the sides lock horns in Auckland.
A mixed start to the tour has led New Zealand media, and many quarters back home, to write Warren Gatland’s side off and certainly Carter agrees that they there is a huge skills gap there that needs to be bridged.
“Yeah it is a huge gap,” he says. “But the All Blacks are an extremely skilful team on the basic skills like catching, passing running square and all those fundamentals of the game.
“The Lions players are capable of doing those simple skills too. Obviously you need to put them under pressure, so it’s applying those skills under pressure because that’s what happens in a Test match.”
One positive to come from the warm up games to date has been the Lions’ defensive structure, but Carter adds that they’ll need to find something extra in attack if they’re to stand any chance in the series.
“I think defence is hugely important and they often say defence can win or lose Test matches and I firmly believe that but against the All Blacks you need to finish off the small number of opportunities that you get.
“The Lions have left a lot of tries out on the field because of simple mistakes in their attacking game but with more time they’ll have confidence and be able to build on their attack, which they need to do.”
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