Dan Carter Didn’t Hesitate When Asked to Name the Best Player He Ever Faced

Friday, 04 September 2026 at 21:22

bySteven Smith

Dan Carter played against some of rugby's biggest names during a career that established him as arguably the greatest fly-half of all time.

The All Blacks icon won 112 Test caps, scored a record 1,598 international points and lifted the Rugby World Cup twice before bringing his international career to an end in 2015.

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Following his retirement, Carter was asked to pick out the greatest players he had shared a rugby field with.

His selections included some enormous names – but when Carter was later asked to identify the single best player he ever played against, one man stood above everybody else.

Here are the four opposition players Carter singled out

4. Jonah Lomu – New Zealand

It might seem strange seeing two All Blacks legends described as opponents, but Carter actually came up against Jonah Lomu before they could ever become international teammates.

The pair faced each other in New Zealand domestic rugby when Carter was still a teenager – and the young fly-half quickly discovered exactly what made Lomu so terrifying.

Carter recalled:

"He bowled me over about five metres when I tried to tackle him in one of my first games."

Carter described Lomu as a "superstar", adding that he was disappointed he never had the opportunity to play alongside him.

Lomu had played his final Test for New Zealand by the time Carter made his All Blacks debut in 2003.

3. Thierry Dusautoir – France

Few players produced their very best rugby against Carter's All Blacks as consistently as Thierry Dusautoir.

The legendary France flanker was at the heart of two of New Zealand's most memorable World Cup battles.

Carter singled out the Frenchman's ability to deliver when the stakes were at their highest.

"He had some blinding games in big moments."

None were bigger than France's extraordinary victory over New Zealand at the 2007 Rugby World Cup and their rematch in the 2011 final.

Dusautoir captained France at Eden Park in 2011, scored their only try and was named Player of the Match despite New Zealand scraping to an 8-7 victory.

He was subsequently crowned World Rugby Player of the Year.

2. Schalk Burger – South Africa

Carter knew whenever he faced the Springboks that Schalk Burger wouldn't be far away.

The South African flanker was one of the most physical players of his generation and Carter admitted he regularly felt as though Burger had him specifically in his sights.

Describing the Springbok great, Carter said:

"An absolute beast."

He added:

"I felt like I had a target on me every time I played the Springboks."

Burger won 86 caps for South Africa, lifted the 2007 Rugby World Cup and was named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2004.

Carter and Burger repeatedly went head-to-head during one of the fiercest periods of the All Blacks-Springboks rivalry.

But there was another opponent Carter admired even more.

1. Jonny Wilkinson – England

When Carter was asked to name the best player he ever faced, his answer was Jonny Wilkinson.

The All Blacks legend had admired Wilkinson before he had even made his own Test debut.

Carter was an unused replacement when England defeated New Zealand 15-13 in Wellington in 2003 and watched from the sidelines as Wilkinson controlled proceedings.

Looking back, Carter said:

"There's so many, it's hard to pinpoint one."

But he eventually settled on the England number 10.

"Probably because I held him in such high regard and had a huge amount of respect for him, it was Jonny Wilkinson."

Carter described Wilkinson as an "absolute student of the game" and admitted watching him that day in Wellington provided a lesson in how an international fly-half should control a Test match.

Carter later recalled thinking from the bench:

"Man, do I really want to get on here?"

He didn't.

Instead, Carter made his All Blacks debut the following week against Wales.

Two years later the pair finally went head-to-head during the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.

Carter admitted the prospect of playing against one of his heroes made that series particularly special, describing it as a "fanboy moment".

Of course, Carter would produce one of the greatest individual Test performances ever witnessed during the second Test in Wellington, scoring 33 points in New Zealand's 48-18 victory.

Yet his admiration for his opposite number never disappeared.

For all the legends Carter encountered during his career, when asked to name the best player he ever played against, Wilkinson was the man he chose.