Share

Racing coach defends Carter selection

Le Plessis-Robinson - Beaten finalists Racing 92 have "no regrets" over the selection of Dan Carter for the European Champions Cup final despite the All Black legend nursing an injury, forwards coach Laurent Travers said Wednesday.

Carter only lasted 43 minutes of Racing's 21-9 defeat by Saracens before limping off with a calf injury he had initially sustained in the semi-final. The 34-year-old admitted after the game that he was left to make the call on his own fitness during the warm-up for Saturday's final at Lyon's Grand Stade.

"It makes me laugh because at the end of the match I think there were 60,000 coaches in the stadium including 59,997 - not Ronan (O'Gara), Laurent (Labit) and me - who were saying we shouldn't have played Dan Carter," Travers said of Test rugby's highest points scorer.

"At the end of the match, it's much easier (to say what's the right thing to do). If we hadn't played him and lost, those same people would have said 'Dan Carter, at 40 percent, would have helped you win'. So we have no regrets. We take complete responsibility for the choices that were made and if we had to make them again we'd do the same thing."

Travers added: "We don't take decisions like a lottery. There was a discussion between the sporting and medical staff, the player... and the decision was taken to include him on the teamsheet."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2243 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE