Legendary fly-half Dan Carter has offered a candid assessment of the All Blacks’ evolving playmaker crisis and the “failure to deliver” that has defined the early stages of the Scott Robertson era.

There are few voices in world rugby that carry the weight of Dan Carter. A double World Cup winner and arguably the greatest number 10 to ever play the game, his opinion on the All Blacks’ pivot position is the gold standard.

Yet, speaking at the Rugby World Cup 2027 draw, even Carter admitted that the identity of New Zealand’s general for the tournament in Australia remains a mystery.

With Scott Robertson chopping and changing between Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett over the last two seasons—and the imminent return of Richie Mo’unga from Japan looming large—the picture is as clouded as it is exciting.

The Three-Horse Race

When asked who he expects to wear the jersey he once made his own, Carter’s response was telling.

“Oh, jeez. Your guess is as good as mine,” Carter admitted.

“Obviously, Beaudy [Barrett] has been steering the ship this year. We had DMac [McKenzie] for the majority of last year, and we’ve got Richie Mo’unga coming back.”

For the vast majority of his 112-cap career, Carter was the undisputed first choice, his selection written in ink unless injury intervened. The current landscape is vastly different, but Carter views this volatility not as a weakness, but as a critical strategic asset.

“What I love about that is the competition,” he explained.

“Exactly who is driving the ship… everyone has the opportunity to grab a hold of that jersey. They’ll all be competing, and that’s exactly what you want.

“The coaches have come out and said that they want squad depth—three to four players in each position. When you have world-class players and depth in key positions like the number 10 jersey, then it’s a real positive.”

Dan Carter on The World Cup Factor

However, Carter was quick to warn that possessing talent is one thing; delivering it at a World Cup is entirely another.

Having navigated the heartbreak of 2007 and 2011 (injury), and the glory of 2015, the 43-year-old stressed that the tournament environment requires a specific type of temperament. It isn’t about flash; it’s about survival and fundamentals.

“World Cups are different,” Carter said. “There are different expectations and pressures. Things happen in World Cups that you can’t even imagine—whether it’s referee decisions, cards, or injuries, you just don’t know.

“You want the drivers of the team to just be doing the fundamentals… performing under those extreme amounts of pressure. Great communication, great kicking, passing, and just directing the team around the field.”

The Verdict on ‘Razor’

Perhaps most significantly, Carter touched on the uncomfortable reality of the Scott Robertson era so far.

While backing the new head coach, Carter acknowledged that the transition from Ian Foster hasn’t been seamless. The All Blacks have looked vulnerable, and the consistency that usually defines the black jersey has been elusive.

“He [Robertson] has been trying to grow depth and he’s been quite open about that, but there’s been key moments in the last couple of seasons that we just haven’t quite delivered,” Carter observed.

“We’ve got to support Razor. The beauty with New Zealand is we’re just so passionate and have such high expectations, and I love that pressure that it brings to the team and the head coach.”

Despite the “rocky” start, Carter believes the raw materials are there to deny South Africa a historic three-peat in 2027.

“You don’t win World Cups two years out from the tournament,” he added.

“As long as he’s learning from those losses… then they’ll only grow. As long as the trajectory is forward over the next couple of years, they’ll definitely put themselves in the best possible shape.”