DanAEs the man.

Dan's the man as he helps tame Tigers All Blacks star fly-half remembered to pack his kicking boots for his spell in France as he starred on debut for Perpignan. Carter booted 16 points as the French side tamed the Leicester Tigers yesterday to keep their slim Heineken Cup hopes alive. With the spotlight well and truly on the world's best No.10, he didn't disappoint as he kept his nerve to level the scores with a penalty after Toby Flood had kicked Leicester into the lead. The Kiwi showed he's still in good nick after New Zealand's November tour as he then converted Gerrie Britz's opening try to put the hosts 10-3 up. Two more Carter penalties made it 16-3 but Tom Croft crossed for the Tigers. Britz scored his second try after the break and although Leicester rallied to 23-20 through Scott Hamilton's try, a fourth Carter penalty sealed victory for Perpignan. Despite the defeat Leicester secured a losing bonus point and will now head to the Ospreys' Liberty Stadium in the final round of pool matches in late January for what looks like being a decisive encounter. Flood opened the scoring with a second-minute penalty. But with Perpignan needing the win to prolong Carter's Heineken Cup aim, the No.10 got into his stride early. Carter was involved in the opening try for the hosts, started by scrum-half Nicolas Durand from his own 22. Durand countered from a Flood kick and the ball went through several pairs of hands, including their new import's, before Britz powered through Geordan Murphy's tackle and romped over from 30 metres out. Carter converted and when he added two more penalties it looked as though the hosts were set for an easy victory. But Leicester do not lie down and just before the break Benjamin Kayser bullocked his way up the middle, Julien Dupuy went blind and Jordan Crane and Ben Kay sent the pacy Croft over in the corner. Flood added the conversion, before Carter showed he is human as he missed a kickable penalty with the last action of the half. Carter missed a second penalty soon after the restart but the hosts looked like they had made the decisive move when Dupuy was charged down a minute later and Britz grabbed his second try to put daylight between the two sides. However, Flood trimmed the gap with a penalty and then linked with Dupuy to send Hamilton over from a quick tap penalty. Flood's conversion narrowed the gap to three points and with the tensions rising the match looked like it might well boil over. Replacement Leicester scrum-half Harry Ellis incensed the home fans and was lectured by the referee for up-ending Carter in the tackle. But the New Zealander is no soft touch and he shrugged off the incident to slot a late penalty as he began his six-month sojourn in the south of France with a victory.

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