Lee Stensness: Expect Carter to shade Larkham

Incredibly, Saturday's first Bledisloe Cup-Tri Nations test will be the first direct showdown between the two first fives regarded as the world'sbest. Daniel Carter and Stephen Larkham have never faced each other in a test match wearing the No 10 jersey.

The Carter-Larkham duel holds particular interest because it is rare for the pair to play one another at test or Super rugby level.

The last time both were on the same field in a test was August 7, 2004, when Carter was playing second five.

In Super rugby, they last met in February 2005 - the only time they have gone head-to-head with both players at 10. The Brumbies won 32-21 in Canberra that night, with Larkham winning the duel, having a fine old time taking intercepts, making try-saving tackles and kicking well for territory.

With Larkham so injury prone, their paths have rarely crossed but ironically the Australian's propensity for injury may prolong his career -so encounters between the two may be more frequent in future.

Larkham is aiming for a swansong at the World Cup in France next year, when he will be 33.

The many layoffs he has had make that realistic as the breaks would have maintained his enthusiasm for the challenge.

It also means he hasn't as many miles on the clock as contemporaries such as Tana Umaga or Justin Marshall.

But it is equally possible injuries may rob him of that opportunity.

In New Zealand, we unanimously insist Carter is the world's best first five, while in Australia, they acknowledge Carter's quality butstill cling to the notion that Larkham remains the rugby world's premier pivot.

Larkham undoubtedly was the best at test level for many years. His record of playing first five in two World Cup finals is unique and illustrates his ability and consistency.

In a historical context, Larkham has the runs on the board and must rank above Carter on any all-time list of great first fives.

However, on recent form it is surely the 2005 IRB player of the year Carter who is the number one number 10.

This weekend will finally provide the opportunity to directly compare the two.

I suspect the comparison will be positive in Carter's favour, given he is more solid defensively and has a superior punt for distance.

In other areas, such as Larkham's strengths of running on to the ball and passing accuracy, both players are at a similar level of excellence.

Larkham was the international benchmark for first fives - however, Saturday night should confirm the bar has been raised by Carter.