Wynne Gray: Carter is the pick of the bunch

Daniel Carter watched from the soaking sidelines at Twickenham stadium. Photo / Getty Images

What did we learn from Twickenham?

The All Blacks played with broken spokes for half a game and beat a bumbling England side. A full-strength mob of white shirts will be different.

Especially at a World Cup where sides prune their adventure as the stakes magnify in the sudden-death playoffs. No-frills footy is a buzzword for most.

Don't believe me? Look at the results of the seven finals.

There were 11 tries scored in those tournament deciders including four in what was a frothy start in 1987. Two finals - the dramatic extra-time duel in the sun at Johannesburg in 1995 and the 2007 conclusion - were tryless.

Defence and goal-kicking are essential platforms for any country aiming at the Webb Ellis crown.

Grant Fox, Michael Lynagh, Joel Stransky, Matthew Burke, Jonny Wilkinson, Percy Montgomery and Sir Stephen Donald are all writ large in the tournament's annals because of their general play and kicking radar.

Which brings me to a man who has played in three tournaments and is desperate to make a victorious exit in his fourth and final appearance.

Daniel Carter watched from the soaking sidelines at Twickers as his deputies, Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett, went through their work. Their general play was tidy enough in the deteriorating weather, however, their goal-kicking was frayed.

Cruden kicked two from five attempts and Barrett one from three which was down on their usual test strike-rate around 72 per cent. Carter's success-rate over a much more prolonged period is up at 83 per cent.

He showed that sort of accuracy when he returned from a long absence to kick all three sideline kicks against USA. In half an hour, after a nervy start, he showed some of his old snap in the final stages but not enough to persuade Hansen he should be in the group to face England.

"Dan's fitness is fine, he just hasn't played enough rugby yet to play in a match like this," the coach said.

Carter hasn't had any further rugby but will be in the mix somewhere against Scotland this weekend which implies they are an inferior opposition.

With Conrad Smith leaving the tour briefly and perhaps Sonny Bill Williams planning a similar trip home for the birth of his first child, there is room for conjecture and Malakai Fekitoa in midfield. Other points to ponder?

Rising lock Patrick Tuipulotu has got the hammer down.

Dane Coles still suffers from flashes of "red mist".

Israel Dagg's tackling is mixed, his draw and pass skills marginal.

Charlie Faumuina is on the up.

Skills coach Mick Byrne has to chisel Cruden and Barrett's kicking.

And in the NZRU war-room in Wellington, the whiteboards should be full of ideas to celebrate Richie McCaw's career once he calls it quits. Just as long as he is not carried around some ground on a bed.