KEY POINTS:
Daniel Carter waited. Not much of his earlier play had turned to gold. A kick had been charged, he had been hassled and he was lucky Irish fullback Robert Kearney shelled a crosskick intended for Mils Muliaina or it would have been a converted try concession.
Still Carter waited. Having donned an extra layer of thermal clothing at halftime, the All Black five-eighths allowed his pack to plough on while he played a very conservative game. Then he sniffed the chance.
Instead of passing he stepped on the gas to get outside his marker Ronan O'Gara and not long after Ali Williams and John Schwalger played their part, Ma'a Nonu slithered across the line to finish the move. Carter had waited until the 62nd minute to test his running game and when he did, game over.
"It took one moment of genius to create the difference," temporary Irish coach Michael Bradley later lamented.
For that kind of brilliance, Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal is reported to be ready to sign Carter to a $1.4 million deal to play for six months after the All Blacks end-of-year tour.
French media suggested Carter's recruitment would be made public after the club's final season game overnight, as would a contract with Jerry Collins, whose cousin Tana Umaga coaches the club. Carter's advisers said the report was news to them.
Toulon were promoted to France's first division two weeks ago and Boudjellal is recruiting 14 new players for next season. Umaga confirmed he would coach again next season but had no idea about any player signings.
To meet the recruitment drive associated with making the premier division of French rugby, Toulon's budget is said to have risen from ¬11 million ($22.57 million) to ¬15 million. An average top-14 player in France earns ¬8000 a month and at least 30 first division players will earn more than ¬300,000 next season.
