The Southbridge Midgets with Carter, aged 6, in the back row on the right.?
The Southbridge Midgets with Carter, aged 6, in the back row on the right.?
All Black Dan Carter's first rugby coach can still remember the tiny boy who had a knack for tackling kids four times his size.
His secret was simple - tackling around the ankles.
"He was always an excellent tackler," coach Alan Manson said.
"When I look back on it, he had no fear of how big anyone was, even if they were four times bigger than him, he'd still drop them. He was very good at tackling them around the ankles."
Years after their grassroots rugby endeavours, Mr Manson and members of Carter's first rugby team - the Southbridge Midgets in Canterbury - were called on recently to take part in a surprise for the All Black as part of the MasterCard Priceless Surprises advertisements.
In the ad, which is running in the United Kingdom during the Rugby World Cup, Carter reflects on his time in the black jersey.
"I've had an amazing All Black career and to have played for 13 years, is pretty special. To think that this is it, at the end of the World Cup, it's gonna be tough."
The camera cuts to Carter walking down a corridor towards a changing room. Subtitles indicate that he is just about to be surprised by members of his old rugby team.
Dan Carter (above, centre) reunited with his first rugby team in a promotion for Mastercard.
As he walks into the changing room, members of the team, plus coach Manson, start cheering and Carter - visibly shocked - beams.
Wiping his eyes, he says: "Being surprised by my first team ... it was priceless."
Mr Manson, who works in engineering, acknowledged he was embarrassed when people found out he had been Carter's first rugby coach.
"To say that I had any influence in how Dan's playing - they were only kids, they could hardly catch a ball back in those days," Mr Manson said, laughing.
"He's probably had a lot of other coaches who have done a lot more than what I had with him. We were just lucky to have him and to see him do so well, it's good for the district and good for the club."
Mr Manson said he decided to set up the pint-size team after his son Sam, who is a year older than Carter, showed an interest in rugby.
The family lived next door to the Carters and Mr Manson approached Neville Carter about including his boy on the squad.
"I thought: 'Oh, Daniel would be good. I've seen him playing in the back lawn'. I had him at halfback. He was very little - he'd be just past my knees, if I think about it. He was very nifty and I thought he'd be good around the scrums."
Asked how he felt about Carter's last World Cup, Mr Manson said he, like many who knew him when he was young, was incredibly proud of his achievements.
"I guess it's just down to the individual who wants to go the furthest - and Dan had it."
