Rewind: Apologies, and DC

This is part of a column that appeared originally in the Otago Daily Times on April 10, 2010. On reflection, I agree with the NZRU's decision to apologise to Maori. And is Dan Carter a flat-track bully? Well, if he doesn't win a World Cup . . .

• Sorry, the hardest word

There has been some interesting discussion this week on the topic of whether the New Zealand Rugby Union should apologise to Maori players left behind on South African tours because of the home country's apartheid regime.

The theory is that the NZRU should say sorry for meekly falling into line with the racist Springboks between 1928 and 1960 in order to maintain healthy rugby relations.

It's a fair argument but I wonder if there is that much to be gained from the present union trying to make amends for the sins of previous unions.

Weighing one generation down with guilt over the behaviour of those from three or four generations back has always seemed a waste of time to me.

There are a quarter of a million children living in poverty in New Zealand, and our rate of child abuse is a national shame - those are reasons to be feeling guilty.

Still, if the NZRU is to get to the point where it feels the need to apologise to Maori, it should also consider saying sorry for.-

1 - Not forcing the Welsh to award the Bob Deans try retrospectively.

2 - Failing to appoint Vic Cavanagh coach for the 1949 tour.

3 - Colin Meads ending Ken Catchpole's career.

4 - The 1981 Springbok tour.

5 - Not winning the World Cup since 1987.

6 - Allowing adidas to tinker with the sacred uniform.

7 - Ruining the NPC.

8 - Appointing John Mitchell.

9 - The 2003 World Cup hosting debacle.

10 - All of the dramas over the haka in recent years.

• Carter: hit or miss?

I watched last week's Hurricanes-Crusaders game at my parents' house near Oamaru and made two predictions near the end, both of which came true.

The first was with five minutes to go, with the Hurricanes leading.

"The Crusaders will score."

And they did, adding a phantom try to their earlier illegal try.

Now, anyone who has watched the Crusaders over the past decade knows they are masters at winning close games, so that prediction was hardly wild. But it's what I said next that really made me look good.

"Carter's going to miss this kick."

My folks scoffed at my bold assertion but were silenced when Crusaders first five and designated saviour of New Zealand rugby Dan Carter pushed the conversion wide, leaving the game a draw.

Carter's a heck of a player but I wonder if we haven't got just a little bit carried away in our acclamation of him as the finest No 10 of all time.

To me, there's an element of the flat-track bully about him. He's at his most sublime in dominant All Black performances, and he hasn't delivered enough under pressure to warrant being ranked alongside the truly great players.