Carlos Spencer

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Carlos Spencer
Full name Carlos James Spencer
Date of birth October 14, 1975 (age 31)
Place of birth Levin, New Zealand
Height 1.84 m
Weight 95 kg
Nickname King Carlos, The Jackal
Rugby union career
Position 1st 5/8, 2nd 5/8, Fullback
Amateur clubs
1994-2004 Ponsonby
correct as of 1 Sept 2006.
Professional clubs Caps (points)
2005- Northampton Saints 33 (49)
correct as of 24 Sept 2006.
Provincial/State sides    
1993-2004
1992-1993		 Auckland
Horowhenua		 93
?		 (515)
(?)
correct as of 9 September 2006.
Super Rugby    
1996-2005 Blues 96 (608)
correct as of 9 September 2006.
National team(s)    
1995-2005 New Zealand 35 (291)
correct as of 1 Sept 2006.
Other Information
School  attended Waiopehu College
Spouse Jo Spencer
Children Payton Spencer

Carlos James Spencer (born 14 October 1975 in Levin) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who plays at fly-half (first five eighth) for the Northampton Saints in England and formerly for the New Zealand All Blacks. Spencer is 1.84m tall and weighs 95kg.

He played for the Auckland Blues Super 12 franchise from the inception of the competition in 1996 until 2005, and has played extensively for the Auckland National Provincial Championship (NPC) side. He has generally specialised in the position of 1st 5/8 though he has also played fullback at national and international levels.

Spencer first rose to prominence when he starred in a Ranfurly Shield challenge in 1992, playing for the Horowhenua team against Auckland. Auckland coach Graham Henry spotted Spencer's talent and recruited him to play for the Auckland team.

In 1996, Spencer played for the Auckland Blues in the first game ever played in the Super 12 competition, kicking off the professional era of rugby union.

Spencer first played for the All Blacks in a non-test tour match on 4 November 1995, but did not play his first test match until 1997. His test debut was against Argentina at Athletic Park in Wellington on 21 June that year. He scored 33 points in that match alone.

Spencer's All Black appearances were somewhat irregular thereafter, as Andrew Mehrtens was generally preferred as the first-choice flyhalf for the side during the period from 1995-2002. However, following an exceptional season for the Blues in Super 12, Spencer became first-choice flyhalf for the All Blacks from 2003, and was a part of the squad for the Rugby World Cup that year.

In 2004, Spencer struggled to find the same form he had displayed the previous year, and Mehrtens replaced him for the final game of that year's Tri Nations. He was then ruled out of the final All Black tour of the year through injury. In 2005 Spencer lost form early in the Super 12 competition and then suffered a fractured cheekbone in training. He agreed to play for the New Zealand Māori (in his 10th match for that team) against the touring Lions but made himself unavailable for the All Blacks so that he would not miss training for his new English club Northampton Saints.

As a player, Spencer is valued for his imaginative kicking and passing game, and his ability to unlock defences. He is also a handy, if not entirely reliable, goal kicker. Only three players have scored more test points than Spencer for New Zealand — Grant Fox, Andrew Mehrtens and most recently, Daniel Carter.

At Northampton he has delighted and frustrated crowds in equal measure. Often it appears he is playing a different game to his teammates which when it works is hugely impressive — on other occasions the crowds wonder just what he was trying to do. He will undoubtedly be remembered as a player with a sublime talent. In 2006, Spencer was named in the Guinness Premiership Awards Dream Team.[1] He played in four matches for Bob Dwyer's World XV team in 2006, including a match for the Barbarians against England at Twickenham on May 28 and a 30-27 loss to the Springboks at Ellis Park on June 3.

Early in 2007 Spencer was linked with a move away from Northampton at the end of the 2006\2007 season. However Spencer soon committed his loyalty to the Saints.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Catt scoops top Premiership award", Planet-Rugby.com, May 25 2006. Retrieved on 2006-06-23.

[edit] External links

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