Carter raring for pre-season action
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Dan Carter has dismissed concerns about a calf strain and told the Crusaders coaches he wants to play the Super Rugby pre-season match against the Hurricanes in Eketahuna on Saturday.
Following the frustrations of last year, when he suffered a small fracture in his lower leg in the Super Rugby Final against the Waratahs and failed to reclaim his All Blacks flyhalf spot on the November tour of Chicago and Britain, Carter is eager to quickly get things going in World Cup year.
While the majority of the All Blacks will be rested from the fixture in Eketahuna, the 32-year-old, who will join French club Racing Metro on the highest paying deal in rugby history at the end of the season, is expected to appear in the final quarter of the match against the Hurricanes.
A calf niggle could have derailed Carter's hopes of making his debut for 2015 but he dismissed any concerns.
"It is nothing serious, I didn't feel it 'go'," Carter told Stuff NZ after training.
"I am not that worried about it, to be honest. It just means I had to monitor my running load and make sure I wasn't getting too many miles under my belt, with a lot more work in the pool and on the bike."
While Carter's decision to take a sabbatical and skip the majority of last year's Super Rugby season allowed him to rehabilitate his body and freshen-up mentally, the injury that forced him from the field in the Final threatened to ruin his international season.
As it was, Carter was unable to usurp Beauden Barrett and Aaron Cruden, who were preferred as the playmakers for the final Test against Wales on the year-end tour.
Having returned to training on January 5 – the majority of All Blacks weren't required back at work until this week – Carter hopes to have given himself a head start for the first competition match against the Rebels in Christchurch on February 13.
"It's just a matter of getting a bit of contact. And, also, timing in these pre-season games is a big thing.
"You can train all you want – but it's actually game time against proper opposition where you learn more about your moves, structures and your game plans.
"That's why I came back a little bit earlier, just to get a couple of weeks training under the belt. Otherwise it takes a bit longer to get back into it."
Assistant coach Tabai Matson confirmed locks Luke Romano and Dominic Bird, along with loosehead prop Joe Moody, will be the other current All Blacks to play this weekend.
The Crusaders will be without No.8 Kieran Read and lock Sam Whitelock until Round Five, while fullback Israel Dagg will also skip the first round.
Others, such as Richie McCaw, may also be rested from the Rebels game.
Matson also said the Crusaders were holding little hope of securing Andy Ellis an early return from his Japanese club Kobe.
With scrumhalf Willi Heinz expected to be out for the season because of a snapped leg, they hoped Ellis might join the squad earlier than expected.
There now appears little chance of that happening. Canterbury colts scrumhalf Jack Stratton will join Mitchell Drummond and Billy Guyton ahead of the match in Eketahuna.
Ellis is not due back from Japan until late February or early March.
Stuff NZ
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