Rugby: Spencer gives up on return home

Carlos Spencer. Photo / Getty Images

Carlos Spencer will stay with Gloucester after failing to convince the New Zealand Rugby Union he was serious about coming home.

The 33-year-old left Northampton in February and was snaffled by the then Guinness Premiership leaders on a 17-month deal that allowed him to leave this May if he wished.

Having played 93 games for Auckland and 96 for the Blues, Spencer wanted to hit the century for them while his homesick wife was also keen to move back to New Zealand.

But the NZRU showed only moderate interest in signing the 35-test first five when approached last month. They did not jump at the chance to contract Spencer, instead they gave the message that it would be best for him to come home on a provincial contract first.

This reluctance to contract Spencer on realistic terms came despite the fact the country is chronically bereft of talented No. 10s. The situation is set to become worse as the Blues have definitely lost Tasesa Lavea for next year with Jimmy Gopperth off his NZRU contract at the end of the year.

It is understood Spencer was not looking for exorbitant money to come home and would have settled for a mid-range contract.

New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew said the contracting team were working through options when they learned Spencer was going to stay with Gloucester.

"There was some support to bring him back and we were working through options on a package to bring him back," said Tew. "During that process Carlos decided to stay with Gloucester."

With Spencer having decided to pull the plug on discussions, the NZRU have suggested that showed he wasn't necessarily serious about a return.

However, Spencer was being asked to give up a $500,000-plus deal with Gloucester to earn about $60,000 with Auckland. He was also effectively being asked to prove he was good enough to still play Super 14.

And to increase his reluctance, the message from Auckland was that they had signed Daniel Bowden and couldn't be sure how much game time Spencer would have.

Auckland and Blues chief executive Andy Dalton said: "We got into some informal discussions with Carlos's agent but in the end Carlos decided to stay with Gloucester."

Spencer has set the Premiership alight since his shift to Gloucester, earning man of the match on debut and then rave reviews for the master class he gave young England hopeful Danny Cipriani in the recent defeat of Wasps.

All Black coach Graham Henry has lamented the lack of experienced players guiding the next generation through the Air New Zealand Cup and Super 14 and fingered it as one of the major issues to be addressed by the national body.

With Bowden returning home to play for Auckland in this year's Air New Zealand Cup, Spencer could have been the perfect mentor for the talented 22-year-old, at Auckland and the Blues.

More than that, though, Spencer would have been a massive drawcard in his own right. Few players in the past 20 years have possessed the instinctive skills and X-factor of Spencer.

He's had admirers and detractors throughout his career and for most of his 10 years in Auckland, Spencer was the man everyone talked about.

He was the man, love him or loathe him, who brought people to Eden Park and few should doubt he would still be able to put bums on seats in quantities that Bowden never will.

After his performance against Wasps The Daily Telegraph reported: "Spencer, whose contract runs until the end of next season, was irrepressible as Gloucester fought off a concerted challenge from Wasps.

His sublime touch in open play, confident kicking from hand and, moreover, his experience when Wasps threatened to end a three-match losing run away from Adams Park, set him apart.

Not even the show-boating Danny Cipriani, who was forced into the centre following an early injury to Josh Lewsey, could compete for the headlines as Spencer provided confirmation that Gloucester were particularly shrewd after his release."