Dan Carter is set to become rugby union’s highest scorer when he faces Wales – his opponents when he made his Test debut seven years ago – in Cardiff on Saturday.

New Zealand’s fly-half star kicked 18 points in the All Blacks’ 38-18 victory over Ireland on Saturday to be just three points shy of overhauling England great Jonny Wilkinson’s world record of 1,178.

It is a measure of Carter’s own skill, and indeed of the general dominance outside of World Cups of New Zealand as a whole, that should he break Wilkinson’s mark at the Millennium Stadium he will have got there in 79 Tests to the Englishman’s 86.

But the 28-year-old Carter could so easily have re-written the record books against Ireland had New Zealand captain Richie McCaw offered him any one of four kickable second-half penalties.

But instead, with the All Blacks close to Ireland’s line, flanker McCaw opted for the scrum on each occasion.

“I didn’t know how many points I needed, I just wanted to take the kick,” Carter said.

“When I found out afterwards I gave Richie some stick about it.

“I hadn’t thought about doing it in Wales but it would be pretty cool to achieve it against the side where it all started.”