ALL BLACK GREAT Dan Carter made a dream start to his Racing 92 career, thriving off a dominant pack to help the Parisian club to a bonus-point 33-3 victory over Northampton on Saturday to go top of European Cup Pool 3.
Carter kicked three conversions and was happy to sit deep in the pocket and allow half-back partner Mike Phillips dictate the pace of the game through the strong home backrow of Wenceslas Lauret, Yannick Nyanga and Chris Masoe, and an ever-present front five.
“We’re really happy with that performance,” said Phillips.
“Dan’s been great all week, he’s obviously world class and will get better and better each training session, each game, so it’s great for the squad.
“He’s certainly a quick learner, today was as if he’s been here for a long time.
“It’s been great having him here and the boys have all helped him, it’s a squad performance, not just about Dan.”
Phillips jokingly added that Carter’s heavily-strapped right knee was nothing to worry about.
“It’s the money he’s on, it’s weighing him down on one side,” he said of the 33-year-old world record Test points scorer who was not made available to the media after the match.
“He’s alright, he’s been around and he’s getting on!”
Almost seven years to the day since leading Perpignan to a European Cup victory over Leicester in his last club action on the continent, Carter kicked off at a Stade Yves-du-Manoir which was not full for the New Zealander’s home debut.
But that mattered little as Racing dominated the first 40 minutes, centre Henry Chavancy streaking in at the right hand corner after a sustained period of pressure from the home side.
Carter made no mistake with the tricky touchline conversion to send a swathe of sky blue and white flags afluttering.
More pressure paid off when prop Eddy Ben Arous crashed over from short range after the forwards maximised from some slack defence around the ruck. Carter hit the extras before his Saints counterpart JJ Hanrahan booted a penalty after a rare incursion into French territory.
The Saints then suffered a disaster just before half-time when Victor Matfield, the 127-time capped Springbok lock, popped up in the centre with the line beckoning.
His telegraphed pass was picked off by Racing’s France international full-back Brice Dulin, who raced away for a third try converted by Carter.
Irish referee George Clancy then controversially disallowed Northampton centre Luther Burrell a try as a breakdown in communication rendered redundant the television match official.
Racing notched up an attacking bonus point minutes into the second period when Dulin crossed for his second try thanks to a great charge and offload from former Chiefs prop and one-time All Black hopeful Ben Tameifuna, weighing in at 134kg (21 stone). Carter’s conversion came back off the crossbar.
Racing rounded off an impressive display when Juan Imhoff crossed for the team’s fifth try to rub salt into the wounds of a disappointing Northampton side.
Also in the group, Glasgow gave themselves a lifeline while simultaneously all but eliminating Scarlets with a thumping 43-6 win over the Welsh region, who have lost all three games so far.
Australia international wing Taqele Naiyaravoro scored a hat-trick as the Scottish side plundered six tries to move to just three points behind Saints.
Stade Francais went one better than Glasgow as they scored seven tries in a 50-17 rout away to Pool 4 whipping-boys Treviso.
Former New Zealand international centre Paul Williams scored two tries as the French champions led 50-0 before taking their foot off the gas and allowing Treviso to hit back with three tries of their own.
In Pool 2, Exeter stunned last year’s runners-up Clermont 31-14 and even secured a bonus point thanks to Australian forward Mitch Lees’s last minute try.
Clermont led 14-3 after 20 minutes but two converted tries from New Zealand-born England No.8 Thomas Waldrom put Exeter 17-14 ahead early after the break.
Zimbabwe-born flanker Don Armand stretched that lead with the third try seven minutes from time before Lees’s bonus-point clincher at the death.
Exeter are level on 10 points at the top of Pool 2 with Ospreys, who beat Bordeaux-Begles 19-16.
