21 Nov 2009

Carter set to become leading All Blacks Test points scorer

8:33 am on 21 November 2009

Dan Carter's poised to become the leading All Blacks Test points scorer when New Zealand play England at Twickenham on Sunday morning.

Carter's just one point behind Andrew Mehrtens on 966 points, having played 64 Tests compared to Mehrtens' 70, with Mehrtens fourth on the overall on the all-time Test point scoring list, which is headed by Carter's opposite this weekend, Jonny Wilkinson, who's scored 1119 points in 78 Tests.

Interestingly Wilkinson's Test career began five years earlier than Carter's, in 1998, but injury has seen him miss numerous Tests and the chance to add to his points total.

Carter's scored by far and away the most tries of the world's top five point scorers, having dotted down 25 times in Test matches, with overall second placed Neil Jenkins of Wales, the next best with 11 tries.

Despite having lost three Tests to them this year, the All Blacks have edged ahead of the Sprinboks in the latest world rugby rankings.