King Carlos' throne left intact

Carlos Spencer bowed out of New Zealand rugby after playing about 40 minutes of sublime football against the Lions. Picture / Amos Chapple

Great entertainers know how to take their leave on a high note.

No regrets, no comebacks. And so it was for Carlos Spencer as he bade farewell to New Zealand rugby as an influential contributor to the New Zealand Maori triumph over the Lions at Waikato Stadium.

The 29-year-old has come a long way from little Waiopehu College in Levin. And 35 tests, 44 All Black appearances and a pile of domestic success behind him, he's off to Northampton and a new life.

When he came on just after halftime on Saturday night, the game was delicately balanced, 6-all, and all to play for.

Like a true champion, he recognised what was possible, was given his head and showed he was right up for a big finale.

This wasn't the daft red-nose-and-unicycle-in-the-back-pocket Spencer.

All the fancy stuff was there, the funny step, teeing up cutback runners, the one-handed show and go, twisting this way and that. But done with real purpose.

It was as if he wanted to put his entire repertoire on stage one final time. To leave nothing in the bag.

Two minutes from the end, six points up, he was faced with two choices about 40m out from the Maori line.

One was the pragmatic option, get the ball down the other end, or out, and soak up a few more seconds. He chose the other, and got away with it, but in a nutshell that's what you get.

Some days he's a champion, on others he's a chump.

But as with many sports performers touched by a bit of genius, if you want one element, you have to accept the other.

"The passion was huge for us. That's what won us the game," Spencer said.

"I'm not sad, not after tonight. It's a great note to leave on. I couldn't think of a better way to leave playing in the jersey I respect the most."

You read that correctly, and he repeated it to make sure the meaning was clear. The All Black jersey is tops, but for respect the Maori takes the biscuit.

"It's a different culture in this side. We are all one when we come together in a Maori side.

"We can cruise during the week and when it comes to doing the job on the night we turn up and do it."

And so they, and he, did.