Carter's century on hold

All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter will be sidelined by injury for six weeks, which means he will not reach his 100th Test cap until the end of year tour at the earliest.

Carter, who is on 97 Tests, damaged a shoulder when he was hit hard by Springboks hooker Bismarck du Plessis 15 minutes into the Rugby Championship Test at Eden Park on Saturday.

The All Blacks went on to win 29-15 with Du Plessis later sent off for a second yellow card offence.

Carter, the world's leading points scorer, will now miss New Zealand's remaining two Rugby Championship matches and their third Bledisloe Cup Test against Australia, with Ireland in Dublin shaping up as the possible venue of his centennial Test.

"Hopefully, we can get him on the plane to go to Paris," Hansen said, referring to the All Blacks opening northern hemisphere match against France on November 9.

If Carter, who has had an injury-plagued year, plays in all three European internationals he will become only the fifth All Black to reach 100 Tests when the side meets Ireland on November 24.

Although Hansen felt du Plessis's thundering tackle on Carter was legitimate, he had no sympathy for the Springbok hooker when he was sent off for a second yellow offence after elbowing Liam Messam in the throat.

"Bismarck will be disappointed because probably the first one wasn't a yellow card, but what he did the second time was just dumb," Hansen said. "You can't elbow someone in the throat."

It was only Carter's third start in seven Tests played by the All Blacks this year after being sidelined by a broken hand and then a thigh injury.

The win over the previously unbeaten Springboks put the All Blacks, the defending champions, at the head of the Rugby Championship with away games against Argentina and the Springboks yet to be played.

AFP