Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: Midweek Madness

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Midweek Madness - The Dan Carter freak conversion

A lot of you will have seen this incredible kick by Dan Carter from last years Super 14 match between the Crusaders and the Highlanders. Until now though, we haven't added it to RD for whatever reason, so it is long overdue.

The conversion came about from a nice Caleb Ralph try in a match that saw the Crusaders run away with the second half, coming out winners 38-3 over the guys from Otago. The try is included in this version of the footage, as well as a replay of the boomerang-like kick that somehow went over.

I can tell you now that there was virtually no wind in the stadium on the night. This kick was pure brilliance. Either that, or pure luck. You decide which way you want to remember it.

Whichever way you want to look at it, we felt it needed to be added to the archives for the superb display of skill, freakishness, or all of the above.

There you go kids - aim it at the corner post and see what happens.

Time: 01:20
Note: For those who don't understand what the commentators are on about at the end, they're talking about cricket - a sport where players balls aren't odd shaped, but do swing through the air.

What's the - ? :o XD

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 12:01 am
Listen, I'm a big fan of Dan Carter, but exactly why was that conversion any better than any other conversion from the touchline? Yeah, it kind of looks funny but 'sheer brilliance'? It got 2 points just like a normal one would. To be honest I would be more impressed if there WAS a strong wind that night - that way it would have been a fantastic bit of judgement.

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 12:33 am
"Pure brilliance or pure luck. You decide which way you want to remember it"
You're obviously a hard man to please Will66.^

I personally really enjoyed that kick. It was probably a bit of luck, but he did kick across it, causing it to come back like that. Quality, memorable, and worthy of it's spot on here, despite what gramps above says. :)

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 1:09 am
@will66

why sheer brilliance?...because he did it with no wind.

how many people can curve it the way he did without the assistance of wind?

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 1:09 am
That was pure luck.
He hooked the ball so incredibility badly that it would of gone miles off.

I think it's just because he didn't kick it right and the way the ball spinned caused it to change direction right into the post. Either that or both touch judges got it wrong. Doubtful.

He's an excellent goal kicker Dan Carter... But I don't think he was expecting that at all.

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 3:20 am
A banaba conversion kick is cool and all, but a banana grubber kick (see Carlos Spencer in the Classic All Blacks tour of Japan) is where it's at!!

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 4:37 am
For all of you who wonder if this was intentional or not, have a slowmo look at his approach and watch where he puts his feet , and where he points his head and upperbody, any decent goal kicker will tell you he really was aiming for very wide of the right upright , he nearly has his torso and feet square across the field...No luck, prob a little bet with someone...

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 8:01 am
...now I think I've seen this somewhere on this site before? I may be wrong of course.

By Don, at July 31, 2008 8:22 am
ur right it got two points lik a normal one would... personally i wud hav given four points for it! fantastic piece of skill!

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 8:43 am
WhaT THE HELL?
no wind?!
crazy.

i wouldnt call it pure brilliance either just freakish!, but thats just me.

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 11:16 am
If I'm not mistaken, I think he did the same kick the game after that... I remember the commentators being "what the heck" and then seeing it again and concluding "he must do it on purpose"
Looks very weird, but awesome !!

By jay, at July 31, 2008 12:10 pm
great kick, amazing.

and yes, it has featured before it was in a super 14 plays of the week (10&11 im pretty sure?)

What i wouldnt give to see his runs against the australians on saturday. Fantastic game, fantastic player, fantastic result. :D

By Unknown, at July 31, 2008 1:00 pm
i've kicked a similar kick although I have to say mine was a slight miss-hit but i got loads of curve on it! :P I think Dan Carter knew what he was doing though ;)

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 2:46 pm
I'm no kicking expert, but if I'm not mistaken a player like Danny Cipriani kicks across the ball in the same way? Certain players do, and I guess this was just a complete extension of that.
Andre Pretorious is the same, although right footed. So his kicks would be hit hard and flat, go off in the direction of left, then come back right, rather than the norm which would be to curl it in from right to left.

Long story, but this kick was pretty neat, intentional or not. Similar to that Thurston kick after the 'Freak league try' by Greg Englis on here.

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 2:51 pm
there is no doubt that is skill. you can see he clearly hit accross the ball to make sure it came back the other way, he put alot of spin on on purpose

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 2:53 pm
I'm sure this video was already on this site. Can't seem to find it now. I think it was in the "see it to believe it" section.

I think pure brilliance!

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 3:41 pm
that's a nice kik. it's just like is done in football to give an effect to the ball. it's not luck, it's techinque.

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 3:44 pm
RD i remember seeing this on here in one of the super 14 plays of the week, good to have the individual clip though!
imo it was skillz :)

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 3:58 pm
wind people...........

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 7:32 pm
Lets just give the man his props people...even if it wasnt intentional, the dudes got craaazy skill. He aint the #1 10 in the world for nothing.

CURL IT LIKE CARTER...lol

By semperfimamba, at July 31, 2008 10:22 pm
Well, the fact that he hasn't done it since would seem to suggest that it was luck. If it was intentional, you would expect him do do it a bit more often.

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 11:24 pm
oh wow

By Anonymous, at August 01, 2008 12:32 am
to v99, you are wrong, it is not pure luck, it was planed. U wanna know how I know this ? Well, simple, look at the way he positions the ball. Compare it to the way he usually set it up, and you will see that it's completly different. And the ball positioning is what makes this kind of kick possible. It starts with the right set up.

By Anonymous, at August 01, 2008 1:06 am
that was redunculus

By Anonymous, at August 01, 2008 3:36 am
Who remembers that Roberto Carlos free kick against france?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t5MF7NRQh4

By Don, at August 01, 2008 5:48 am
of course he meant it brilliant skill. He plays golf so knows how to fit a fade and thats what it is wether your hitting a golf ball or a rugby ball-fantastic

By Anonymous, at August 01, 2008 1:45 pm
Yeah, but the question remains, if he did it on purpose - why? To show off? If I was one of his team-mates and I'd just sweated buckets getting the ball over the line I'd be pretty pissed off if my goal kicker was messing about like that.

It was a mistake that went freakily right.

By Anonymous, at August 02, 2008 12:42 am
that roberto carlos kick was the best kick in football history :P

by the way its and outswinger cause it spins away from his body as opposed to going towards the inside

By Anonymous, at August 07, 2008 1:55 am
The wind looks like it was blowin alot actually wen da linesmen put up their flags

By Unknown, at November 14, 2009 1:54 am
the little side note about a boomerang being a cricket term is completely wrong...a boomerang as most would know was a hunting tool used by native of Australia (Aboriginals) which was thrown to kill animals in trees and the advantage was if u missed it would curve and come back so u wouldnt have to go look for it.

By Anonymous, at December 06, 2009 11:35 pm
'the little side note about a boomerang being a cricket term is completely wrong...a boomerang as most would know was a hunting tool used by native of Australia (Aboriginals) which was thrown to kill animals in trees and the advantage was if u missed it would curve and come back so u wouldnt have to go look for it. '

a boomerang is a cricketing term for a ball which reverse swings a large ammount. and for those wineing about the conversion, the wind was blowing a gale like it always does in dunedin, it was incredible skill and i wouldve like to see someone kick that because 5 bucks says they would miss.

By Anonymous, at December 08, 2009 11:31 pm
This was done on purpose, as he did it again a few minutes later. However, if I remember correctly, there was a strong wind that night and he kicked so to try and counter it.

By Maria, at January 30, 2010 11:43 pm