Carter: 'Why I opted for surgery'
Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:35
A long lay-off for Dan Carter. (c) Gallo
All Blacks ace Dan Carter has revealed that he opted to bring his surgery, on an injured ankle, forward, because there is nothing left to play for.
With New Zealand having already retained the Bledisloe Cup and ripped the Tri-Nations trophy from South African hands in emphatic fashion, Carter will now step back and allow young Aaron Cruden to take the flyhalf spotlight.
Cruden will make his first Test start against Australia in Sydney on September 11.
Carter will undergo surgery in Christchurch on Tuesday and will be sidelined for up to eight weeks.
The Crusaders ace said the right ankle had bothered him for the last three-and-half months, but was "manageable".
He had considered holding off surgery until after the Sydney Test - meaning he would be an unlikely end of year tourist - or after that tour to Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, thereby delaying his entry to next year's Super 15 campaign.
The 73-Test veteran and medical staff made their call soon after New Zealand's 29-22 defeat of South Africa in Soweto at the weekend, which secured the All Blacks' 10th Tri-Nations crown.
"The timing is pretty good in that we've wrapped up the Tri-Nations and the Bledisloe [Cup], which is a fantastic feat for the team," he told reporters in Johannesburg.
"The way we've been playing, and the timing, it's worked out really well.
"I miss one international game, all going well. Obviously the bigger picture is next year [World Cup] and I'm just concentrating on getting it done and doing the rehab and bouncing back from that."
Carter said he started feeling the injury near the end of the Super 14 and it had dogged him through the international season although had been well managed.
He refused to use it as an excuse for any patchy form with the Crusaders or All Blacks.
His goal-kicking was awry in Soweto, missing four of his nine shots while his 72 percent ratio - 44 from 61 shots - through New Zealand's eight Tests was down on recent years.
"I never put lack of form or missing kicking opportunities like that down to something like my ankle," he said.
"It's been manageable. If I thought it started to affect my performance I wouldn't have been playing."
Carter, whose 236 points against Australia is the most by any player against another team in Test history, would benefit from a break according to All Blacks coach Graham Henry.
"To continue playing with the discomfort he's had just epitomises the player," said Henry.
"He's a total professional, does everything for the team and it's great he's got a wee bit of space to get this right because we've got a five match tour at the end of the year and he'll be a special part of that."
Henry confirmed Cruden, 21, would start and that the search was now on for a backup No.10 for the Sydney Test.
Candidates include Luke McAlister and Stephen Brett - who have been playing inside centre for North Harbour and Canterbury respectively in the national provincial championship - along with starting Canterbury No.10 Colin Slade.
Source: NZPA
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