Former All Black allays fears Carter will be bashed
It wasn't something I was losing sleep over.
Former All Black allays fears Carter will be bashed
By RICHARD KNOWLER - The Press | Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Former All Black allays fears Carter will be bashed - New Zealand's source for sport, rugby, cricket & league news on Stuff.co.nz
Former All Black Scott Robertson has tempered fears Dan Carter is in danger of getting the bash during his six-month stint with French club Perpignan.
When the All Blacks first five-eighths arrived in Perpignan for his medical and registration this week he was greeted like a rock star as about 3500 fans welcomed him to the club's home ground of Stade Aime-Giral.
The jubilant scenes indicated there is no chance that Carter, who will reportedly earn about $1.5 million for his efforts at the Catalans outfit, will fly under the radar when he joins it in December.
Now there are fears the No.10, who will skip next year's Super 14 campaign with the Crusaders, will be targeted by opponents eager to leave their mark on the wealthy New Zealand star.
But loose forward Robertson, who played three seasons for Perpignan, reckons the match officials and Carter's team-mates will protect him if things get rough.
"I don't believe they will be out to do a job on him and I think the French boys will look after him," said Robertson, who now lives in Christchurch.
"There's not so much senseless play nowadays, in regards to players being taken out. It has cleaned up from a few years ago."
Robertson admitted it does not take much for French tempers to flare but gone are the days when teams would deliberately kick the ball out on the full from the opening whistle so they could stop wasting time and settle their differences in a scrum on halfway.
"They are still very emotional and there is the loose switch that they will flick. Well ... put it this way, they are not as disciplined as we are here," he added with a laugh.
However, he reckons Carter will handle the physical side of games and says the pressure of having to justify his massive pay packet is no different than having to perform and win games for the All Blacks and Crusaders.
Perpignan is desperate for the French league title, having not won it since 1955.
Robertson, who played 23 tests for the All Blacks between 1998 and 2002 and represented Perpignan in the 2004 final loss to Stade Francais in Paris, said Carter will be expected to fulfil obligations on and off the field.
With rugby the main sporting focus of the city that has a population of about 400,000, the 26-year-old should also expect to be recognised as he wanders the streets.
"He will be a demi-god for sure," Robertson added.
"It will be very much like a Canterbury scenario over there, in which there is a village mentality."
The 13,000-capacity stadium has one of the best atmospheres in the country.
"It rocks from start to finish. There are bands in the stands that play against each other and it has a real football feel about it, with the jeering, whistling, and the way the fans get into the ref.
"It's like a little bull ring."
