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Carter: The best in the world?

Prior to the World Cup I thought that New Zealand could win the World Cup without Richie McCaw but they could not win it without him.

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The Rugby Club tags along as former All Black scrum-half Justin Marshall watches his former teammates at a training camp.

Justin Marshall, currently playing for Welsh side The Ospreys, knows all about not delivering as favourites in a World Cup having been involved in New Zealand's 1999 and 2003 World Cup campaigns.

While watching the players go through their motions at a World Cup training camp in France, Marshall was asked what would happen if the class of '07 stumbled at the final hurdle.

"It won't be any different to the two years where I had to go back not winning the World Cup," explained Marshall.

"It is never a nice feeling, you go out there and you want it as much as everybody else. But ultimately you don't always get what you want.

"But their results have been outstanding so that has raised the expectation levels in New Zealand even further.

"Leading up to 99, we lost every single Tri-Nations game but we still went into the World Cup as favourites. How do they figure that out?"

Marshall had the opportunity to play with some of the best fly-halfs in the country and with all eyes on golden boy Dan Carter the inevitable question on who is the best crops up.

"It is hard to compare them," explains Marshall who won 81 caps for New Zealand

"I have been asked to compare him, Andrew Mehrtens and Carlos Spencer in one breath and explain who was best.

"Spencer had the magic that we have all seen, and the unpredictability that you cannot coach.

"Andrew Mehrtens, I believe, and still believe had the most time I have ever seen.

"And then you have Daniel Carter who is happy to be out there and his talent is immense. He is the best player in the world.

"Prior to the World Cup I thought that New Zealand could win the World Cup without Richie McCaw but they could not win it without him.

"I just feel he controls everything that they do and he is only getting better."

Graham Henry soon spots his former scrum-half on the sideline and pops over for a chat where conversation soon turns to Ireland.

"Ireland? What the hell has happened to Ireland?" said a bemused Henry.

"I watched that game," replies Marshall. "Georgia basically had all the territory, all the possession and basically played all the rugby.

"They really deserved to win the game. If they were more efficient in taking their points, they probably would have."