Dan Carter – 1598. Published by Upstart Press, Auckland, 2021
Rugby players don't often get described as artists, but few are better qualified to receive the classification of 'artist' than All Blacks first five-eighths Dan Carter.
New Zealanders may take some time to appreciate how lucky they are to have lived through a rugby era in which Carter was one of two players of a lifetime to peddle their wares in, arguably, the All Blacks' greatest era.
To have those two players on the same side, at provincial and international levels, is nothing short of serendipitous and contributed to a decade-long ranking for the All Blacks as the No1 side in the world. Together they helped the Crusaders become one of the most consistent of non-international sides.
The other was Richie McCaw, who was the subject of an earlier collection of photographs celebrating the 148 Tests he played and, until the last weekend of October 2021, the most by any player in the game, who contributed a foreword to his team-mate's book.
But, in celebrating Carter's career with a pictorial walk through each of the world record 1598 points that have already lasted longer than McCaw's appearances as a record, readers can analyse for themselves the artist that Carter was throughout his career.
Each of his Test matches has a series of photographs and a running tally of his points scored. Rare is the shot that doesn't live up to the artistic quality that was Carter's trademark.
There are personal favourites, many of them towards the end of his career. Perhaps it was something to do with the fact it was appreciated he wasn't going to be around much longer.
But look at the intent when fending off a French defender in the quarterfinal romp over France at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. That action preceded his backhand flick that wing Julian Savea converted into a stunning try. Or the dropped goals kicked in the semifinal against South Africa and the final against Australia – both of them as artistic as they were crucial. And, to cap it off, there's the famous last kick in Test rugby, the right-footed conversion by the greatest left-footed points scorer in the game.
There are a lot of goal-kicking shots, different angles, different pressures. That's why he is the game's best. But there are also examples of his running game. Those qualities placed him among the greatest of five-eighths, if not the greatest.
The determination etched on his face sprinting down the sideline in Johannesburg against South Africa in 2010 or touching down for one of his two tries in the Wellington classic against the British & Irish Lions in 2005 are other examples.
"Regarded by most people as my signature match, I was in a state of flow I had never before experienced. I strived for the perfect game my entire career and this was the closest I ever came," he said in the caption accompanying the photo.
But it's not all wine and roses. There are the injuries. There are the pained shots from Cardiff in the quarterfinal loss to France in 2007. And several photos of either tackling or being mauled by South African hard men, most notably Schalk Burger. They probably created some bone-crunching memories Carter could still feel when assessing the photographs.
The collection from various contributors is what you would expect from such an outstanding career. They represent a record of artistry, attack, defence, kicking and scoring, that may not be seen again for a long time to come.
At the same time, New Zealand's rugby is wonderfully archived, at all levels, by photographic representations and Dan Carter – 1598 is right up there with the best of them, just as he was as a player.