Spencer missing but still in spotlight

Carlos Spencer was missing yesterday but he will be very much the centre of attention when New Zealand take on Australia in Saturday’s World Cup semi-final.

The mercurial playmaker, who became the talk of the tournament after a dynamic display in the quarter-final victory over South Africa, was a notable absentee from the All Blacks’ media session.

No reason was given for his no-show, but it prompted irate journalists to turn on New Zealand’s communications manager – such is the demand to hear from the man who is now competing with France’s Frederic Michalak, rather than Jonny Wilkinson, as the finest fly-half of the tournament.

It was left to New Zealand’s coaching co-ordinator Robbie Deans and Spencer’s Auckland team-mate Doug Howlett to give an insight into the tattooed stand-off from the town of Levin in the north island province of Manawatu-Wanganui.

“He is like any of our backs really,” said Deans, referring to the tournament’s most feared attacking unit.

“He has got a massive amount of physical talent and good instinct and we encourage players to use their instinct because come the hour of the contest, you can’t be working off a sheet.

“You can only respond to what you are experiencing at that moment. You can only respond to the context and you are only as good as those responses.

“He is a guy who is fast of mind and foot. We encourage all of the players to be themselves.”

Spencer’s international career began in 1997 but a combination of Andrew Mehrtens, injury and unpredictable form limited his international opportunities.

But as director of the Auckland Blues’ scintillating back division, which includes his All Black team-mates Howlett, Joe Rokocoko and Mils Muliaina plus Fijian Rupeni Caucaunibuca, Spencer shot to the fore and has nailed down the international fly-half role.

So much so that while the All Blacks rotated their selections during the pool games, Spencer remained an ever present.

Wallabies coach Eddie Jones, who also named an unchanged starting line-up, has already outlined his belief that Spencer struggles if the All Blacks are on the back foot, when he cannot send try-scoring passes through his legs or launch one of his famous “banana-kicks”.

Mitchell refused to become embroiled in a row with Jones, simply stating: “I don’t know where he is coming from.”

And to Spencer it will be water off a duck’s back.

“It is the way I play the game and want to do things,” he said earlier in the year.

“I just want to go out there and play a good style of rugby. Some things I do don’t come off and that upsets some people.”

Howlett backed Spencer to deal with anything the Wallabies have to throw at him.

“He has been targeted throughout the season but he always manages to distribute the ball well and get our game-plan underway,” he said.

“There is so much he has got to look out for, he has got defenders, he has got wide moves.

“It has been going on six or seven years now and I still don’t know all of his bag of tricks.

“You have got to be awake and ready for the ball – it can turn up anywhere, which is a fantastic way to play.”