Carter laughs off recall speculation and backs current eligibility rules

May 15, 2019
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Ultimate Rugby

Former All Black flyhalf Dan Carter has laughed off speculation that he will return to the All Blacks for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, after his name was thrown into the conversation following Damian McKenzie's injury.

The two time World Cup winner says he is no World Cup saviour and doesn't want the tough All Blacks eligibility rules relaxed.

The 37-year-old was awarded an ONZM for his services to rugby in Auckland on Wednesday and said that he chuckled at the suggestions and due to the fact that he needs to be in a neck brace for three months following surgery five weeks ago, insisted it wasn't logistically possible anyway.

"I was having a laugh at that when I heard my name being thrown around," Carter said.

"I think I can start contact training again in October. So I might be right for the semifinal or final ... the first tackle in a big game like that would be quite entertaining.

"My focus is on recovering from this with the hope of finishing off my contract in Japan."

Carter left New Zealand after the World Cup in 2015 and has had stints in France and Japan with Racing 92 and Kobe Kobelco Steelers. The former Crusader believes New Zealand still has enough resources to maintain the strict regulations that states players must be playing in New Zealand Rugby to be selected for the All Blacks.

"What they have got in place has worked well," Carter said.

"Injuries are part of sport and as the coaches have said, you don't want to dwell on injuries because that's what happens. You just have to focus on the resources and the talent that you do have and work as well as you possibly can with the talent that you have got here."

Carter went on to say that he didn't feel it would be a risk to take just two specialist first-fives to Japan for the World Cup.

"There is enough talent and guys that are versatile enough (to help cover)," he said.

"The coaches and selectors have been around for a while, they will be working on things behind the scenes as well to give them some security in case there are more injuries.

"We have been in that situation before and still won a World Cup and that gives us a lot of confidence."

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