A pivotal figure in the final, it's hard to believe that Dan Carter would even have considered not going to the tournament with New Zealand.
However, writing on the Player's Tribune, Carter stated that he had considered giving up rugby altogether a year out from the tournament, as he wasn't sure that he had the talent to cut it at the top level anymore.
The World Cup winner stated that being played out of position by Crusaders was a big part of the thinking behind him nearly giving up, as "I was trying to prove I could still be a fly-half for the All Blacks".
He added that, having broken his leg, he was beginning to take on board what the pundits and critics had been saying about him: "the critics who had been going on about my age started making more sense to me. All those big plays I'd made during my career seemed like memories now. And I wondered what kind of legacy I'd leave behind". He also said that "for the first time in my life I began to question my love for the sport".
However, the person who stopped him from giving up on rugby entirely was his wife Honor, who convinced him to stick with it and give it one last tournament before retiring.
"I would tell her that I wanted to retire, that I didn't think I had the talent anymore. She was my rock...and despite my arguments, kept encouraging me. If it wasn't for her and my love for the All Black jersey, I'd probably have long since hung up my cleats".
Carter decided to hang on and earned his 112th cap for the All Blacks with a man of the match performance in the World Cup final, as he helped his team to overcome Australia.
He will make his debut for Racing 92, where he's working with Ronan O'Gara, on Saturday against Northampton Saints in the European Champions Cup.
Via Yahoo Sports
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