Dan Carter's dad: He didn't do a hell of a lot of school work

Dan Carter's father Neville was also a goal kicker. Photo / Sarah Ivey

What are your first memories of Dan playing rugby?
He started when he was six and, by the time he was 10, he was starting to kick goals from just about near the sideline. Which was quite a treat, to watch him do that at that tender age.

Where did the goal-kicking talent come from?

He's always loved practising and he's always last to leave practice. He got goal-posts for his eighth birthday and he'd be out there for hours. And I was a goal-kicker for about 14 years, so I suppose he would have seen me kicking goals.

Did Dan always have big ambitions?

The local newspaper did a profile on him when he was 12 and he basically stated then that he wanted to play for Canterbury. And I think one of the questions was, 'what do you expect to make out of rugby?' And he said $1 million. Those days, when you're 12, that was a pretty big number.

What was he like at school?
He and his mates didn't do a hell of a lot of school work, I tell ya. He spent time after school with some great mates who would come round and have fun and play all sorts of games. That's where they honed their skills, I think, the amount of hours they spent playing and kicking.

What has it meant for Dan to play his whole career in Canterbury?
He's a Cantabrian and he always looked at spending as much of his rugby career in Canterbury as he could. It's been quite a commitment in the last few years, travelling two or three times a week up to Auckland and back with his family. But it's been a great thrill to be able to follow him right through.

Neville Carter watches his son Dan Carter play for his club side, Southbridge, against Hornby in Christchurch in 2009. Photo / Simon Baker

Will Christchurch turn it on tonight?
When [Carter and Richie McCaw] had their farewell game against the Reds, the crowd was very supportive to the both of them. They stayed round for the presentation and it was a nice atmosphere. Everyone enjoyed it so I hope tonight's a reasonably nice night and the crowd will enjoy Richie and Dan and the All Blacks' performances.