Dan Carter tips Karmichael Hunt to be a hit in rugby for Queensland Reds
DAN Carter was impressed. The world’s finest flyhalf of this generation now knows Karmichael Hunt will be a hit as a rugby player.
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DAN Carter was impressed. The world’s finest flyhalf of this generation now knows Karmichael Hunt will be a hit as a rugby player but politely declined to anoint him as the Reds saviour at No. 10.
The All Blacks flyhalf lined up against Hunt for 50 minutes in Friday night’s trial at Ballymore and could appraise the Reds experiment at flyhalf from a ringside seat.
As ever, the Crusaders kingpin was gracious with praise for an opponent but shrewd enough to apply conditions.
“I thought he played well behind a forward pack that had him on the front foot,” said Carter, who was playing a final time in Brisbane after a decade of eye-catching visits.
Asked directly whether Hunt should be the punt at flyhalf for the Reds’ in the big season-opener against the ACT Brumbies in Canberra next Friday, Carter was more circumspect.
“That’s not for me to say. He has the skillset to be a quality player in rugby. I’ll be keen to look at his progress over time.
“He is physical and has a presence to him.”
Hunt was pleased with his first effort at flyhalf in five years since a brief foray for French club Biarritz.
He was nursing a cork to the thigh and a groin niggle from too zealously practising goalkicking this week to prepare for his four-from-five effort on Friday night.
“I enjoyed it. I didn’t want to overcook things but manage it ... I thought I did that,” Hunt said of his game-plan.
Hunt is up for a start at No. 10 against the Brumbies if coach Richard Graham prefers him over James O’Connor.
“Sure. I’m only going to get more confidence by playing there and seeing more of what the game can throw at me,” Hunt said.
Graham was upbeat about the five-try effort, the dominant forward display in the first half and the rattling defence that set it up.
“We scored four tries in the first half (with Hunt at flyhalf) against a very good Crusaders side so something was going right,” Graham said.
“I thought Karmichael did really well. We said each week he’d learn something difficult and different and he is.”
Fullback Jamie-Jerry Taulagi was sharp and confident, stepping by Carter with neat footwork in one attacking raid.
O’Connor was spelled on Friday night because tonsillitis had not allowed him to train all week.
He will be fit, after a knee niggle, for selection against the Brumbies so Graham has the big decision to make.
Originally published as Dan Carter tips Karmichael Hunt to be a hit in rugby for Queensland Reds
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