AnalysisGeneralPlanet Rugby26 Apr

Carter backs All Blacks to rise to the challenge — but consistency remains the question

Dan Carter backs Rennie's All Blacks to thrive under pressure, but the consistency question that plagued Robertson's tenure hasn't gone away — and the Springboks aren't waiting.

Dan Carter has come out in support of the All Blacks' new coaching direction under Dave Rennie, framing the dense 2025–26 schedule — the Nations Championship and the Greatest Rivalry series against the Boks included — as exactly the kind of pressure that brings out the best in top Test sides. His message is broadly optimistic: the talent is there, the challenge is real, and the hunger to reclaim the world number one ranking from South Africa is a healthy motivator.

What Carter stops short of addressing, though, is the underlying issue that got Robertson fired in the first place — that gap between flashes of quality and the week-to-week consistency the Springboks have made their trademark. Rennie inherits a squad with genuine potential but a recent track record of underperforming against the top sides when it matters. With the World Cup 18 months away and the Boks sitting comfortably at number one, Carter's optimism will need to be validated on the field pretty quickly.

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