Ex-All Black risks ‘getting hammered’ by not picking Dan Carter in stunning Ultimate XV
Former All Backs fly-half Nick Evans picks his Ultimate XV.
Former All Blacks fly-half Nick Evans has overlooked the great Dan Carter at number 10 in his Ultimate XV and instead opted for a Wallabies legend as playmaker.
Evans, who won 16 caps for New Zealand during his playing career, played as both a fly-half and full-back, but it was the former where his game really flourished.
Unfortunately he was stuck behind one of rugby union’s greats in Carter as the pair’s careers collided and he decided to leave the Blues for Harlequins in 2008.
Harlequins favourite
The Premiership was blessed by his talents as he shone for Quins, but the move to England meant he had to forgo playing in what became a special All Blacks side.
Indeed, New Zealand went on to lift the World Cup in 2011 and 2015 while Evans was a Twickenham Stoop favourite, helping them win the Premiership in 2012.
Appearing on Danny Care‘s show Hits Different, the now Harlequins attack coach was asked to provide his Ultimate XV of stars that he had played with or against.
Evans began with his forward pack and it was a formidable eight with All Blacks duo Tony Woodcock and Carl Hayman packing down either side of Schalk Brits.
The 44-year-old had an all-Springbok lock pair of Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield, while Juan Smith, Richie McCaw and Rodney So’oialo made up his back-row.
Moving to the backs and Evans rewarded Care’s longevity with Harlequins and England and then came a surprise call at fly-half as Stephen Larkham got the nod.
“Wow, interesting, here we go,” Evans said when the debate reached the number 10 shirt. “I am probably going to get hammered for this so this will be me. I’m picking not a New Zealander and again probably one of the players I have spoken a little bit around and who I modelled my game on. That’d be Stephen Larkham.”
“The reason I’m putting him in there is, as I said, I modelled a lot of my game on him (Larkham). He was part of that Brumbies team that was unbelievable,” he explained.
“I’M GONNA GET HAMMERED FOR THIS!” Nick Evans doesn’t pick Dan Carter in his Ultimate XV pick👀 pic.twitter.com/tkl545ZE7N
— Hits Different (@hitsdifferentyt) October 31, 2024
“They kind of revolutionised that second play; the old back, the layered attack and it was literally like ‘what is this sorcery?’ Your full-back is like ‘what the hell is going on here?’ There’s down lines and there’s people out the back and who do I take here?
“No one could double defend. You used to be able to double defend in the day cause there used to be like a wide out the back and you could swim off and now there was like this tight little shape. They were unbelievable and I think he kind of revolutionised that flat to the line, ability to pull the ball back, play front line and be a threat himself so I kind of wanted to be like that so, yeah, you’d have big Stevie outside you.”
Evans continued revealing his team piece by piece and wing was next on the list, with Springboks legend Bryan Habana and Fiji star Rupeni Caucaunibuca selected.
Aaron Mauger was his choice at inside centre before Jaque Fourie was named outside him and his final decision saw Mils Muliaina make his Ultimate XV at full-back.
Nick Evans’ Ultimate XV
15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Rupeni Caucaunibuca, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Aaron Mauger, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Stephen Larkham, 9 Danny Care, 8 Rodney So’oialo, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Juan Smith, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Tony Woodcock
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