At stand-off, it’s time for the unlikely lads

Daniel Carter was the man who had brought magic to the No 10 jersey in New Zealand and had grown over the past few years into the world’s most accomplished and dangerous game controllers. And yet we witnessed a World Cup final in which neither New Zealand nor France ran out with their pin-up fly-halves.

New Zealand lost Carter to injury, a groin ripped in kicking practice ahead of the quarter-finals, evoking a scream that seemed to echo across New Zealand. They called in another Christchurch man in Colin Slade, and the New Zealand media decided it had taken just 48 seconds of his first appearance – and an error or two – to declare that the 24-year-old Highlanders fly-half was not up to it.

He was struck down by injury anyway and the SOS went out to 5ft 9in Aaron Cruden. The 22-year-old from Palmerston North has fought testicular cancer, which forced the removal of a testicle when he was 19, and come back through Super 15 rugby with the Chiefs to push on to the fringes.

He performed well against Australia, outshining Quade Cooper in the Wallabies ranks, and struck a drop-goal to help secure New Zealand’s place in the final and his public were happy. Until Cruden’s leg jarred horribly just six minutes before half-time in the final, and he fell victim to the stand-off curse.

So, enter stage right the discarded stand-off of New Zealand rugby, Stephen Donald, who made a winning All Blacks debut against England in 2008 and played at Murrayfield in that year’s Grand Slam win, but in 22 Tests never wholly convinced.

Two weeks ago, he was on a boat fishing, oblivious to attempts by All Blacks coach Graham Henry to contact him.

“It is an unreal experience to pretty much come from nowhere and find yourself playing in a World Cup final,” he said. “I was out with a mate having a few beers and white-baiting [when Henry called].

“I didn’t know because my phone was switched off, and it was only when I spoke to someone else I found out they had been trying to contact me.”

Donald took over the goal-kicking in yesterday’s second half after Piri Weepu struggled, and so slotted the 44th minute penalty that proved too much for the French to haul in.

The French were enlivened by their replacement stand-off Francois Trinh-Duc, on for the injured Morgan Parra after just 23 minutes, but he crucially missed a drop-goal and Dimitri Yachvili a penalty.

One might conclude that the stand-offs are not so pivotal at the end of this World Cup. However, had Scotland not played about with theirs, Wales not lost Rhys Priestland, Australia had an on-form ten instead of the erratic Cooper, France stuck with Trinh-Duc and the All Blacks had Carter throughout, one feels we would have had more from them all.

Sport rarely follows set plans, however, and is why we get great stories such as Donald’s. The Bath-bound 27-year-old has earned his moment of glory.

“People have questioned me as an All Black, so I am pretty proud of this achievement,” he said. “You don’t always agree with what is said, but I am proud that I was able to front-up.

“I was excited to go out there and show I am a genuine All Black, that I deserved to wear the jersey, even if this may be the last time I get that chance.”