Leroy Carter, the dynamic All Blacks winger, is gearing up for a formidable clash against the Springboks this Saturday at Cape Town Stadium. Aged 27, Carter has been selected for his defensive prowess by coach Dave Rennie, taking precedence over Josh Moorby, who will now serve as a substitute following last week’s triumph in Johannesburg.
During a recent press event, Carter expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming game and reflected on how his background in sevens rugby has honed his defensive skills.
"I pride myself on the defensive side of things. I guess it came a little bit from the sevens programme, just all the skills that you learn playing that game,"Carter mentioned.
Carter, an eight-time capped international who first made his mark against South Africa in 2025, is set to face Kurt-Lee Arendse in the absence of the injured Cheslin Kolbe.
"Kolbe’s out this week, but Kurt-Lee’s in and I’ll be marking up against him. Amazing feet. It’s just another challenge,"Carter stated, ready to tackle another formidable opponent.
Having represented New Zealand at the 2024 Paris Olympics and been a contender for the 2023 World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, Carter is no stranger to aerial contests, a skill he’ll pair with teammates Damian McKenzie and Will Jordan. He quipped about mastering the high balls, "Just try to catch it, yeah? [Laughter] It’s been the goal for a while, but we’re putting plenty of work into it," acknowledging the challenges and his relentless efforts to improve.
Already impactful on this tour with scores against the Stormers and a double against the Vodacom Bulls, Carter is eager to increase his try tally and continue influencing the game with his active playstyle. He shared, "I try to get as many touches of the ball as I can; get involved, get around the forwards, stuff like that. That’s part of my game that I love to do, working off my edge and getting some touches … Hopefully I can do that on Saturday."
Carter also underlined the importance of maintaining focus and resetting mentally after a significant victory at Ellis Park. "After a win like that at Ellis Park, you’re on quite a high and it’s important to celebrate those wins, but come Monday we had a good mental focus of just resetting, starting our week over. We know the Boks are going to come out and want revenge," he concluded, anticipating a strong comeback effort from the Springboks.
As the teams prepare for another chapter in rugby’s illustrious history, all eyes will be on Carter and his teammates as they face off against a determined South African squad hungry for redemption.
