Dan Carter (AFP)

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Cardiff - New Zealand flyhalf Dan Carter became international rugby union's leading all-time points scorer during the All Blacks' Test against Wales at the Millennium Stadium here on Saturday.

Carter's eighth minute penalty gave him the three points he needed to go one point ahead of Jonny Wilkinson's previous world record of 1,178 points for England and the British and Irish Lions.

The 28-year-old Kiwi had a chance to draw level after Hosea Gear's fifth minute try but pulled the conversion from out on the left touchline wide of the posts.

Carter, who made his international debut against Wales at Hamilton in 2003, broke Wilkinson's mark in his 79th Test - seven matches fewer than it took the Englishman, currently sidelined with a shoulder injury, to amass his tally.

Leading international rugby union points scorers (total points, player, country, points split, total Tests, career span):

1 179 Dan Carter NZL 79 2003-

1 178 Jonny Wilkinson ENG (1 111 ENG/67 Lions) 86 1998-

1 090 Neil Jenkins WAL (1 049 WAL/41 Lions) 86 1991-2002

1 010 Diego Dominguez ITA (983 ITA/27 ARG) 76 1989-2003

980 Ronan O'Gara IRL 103 2000-

967 Andrew Mehrtens NZL 70 1995-2004

911 Michael Lynagh AUS 72 1984-1995

893 Percy Montgomery RSA 102 1997-2008

895 Stephen Jones WAL (842 WAL/53 Lions) 101 1998-

878 Matt Burke AUS 81 1993-2004