Carter out for eight weeks
New Zealand fly-half Daniel Carter will miss the next eight weeks of rugby as he is due to have surgery on a troublesome ankle.
Carter has been carrying a knock to his ankle through the Tri-Nations series. The All Blacks sealed the tournament with a 29-22 win over South Africa at the weekend that allows Carter to be released to get the problem sorted.
It is hoped that he will be able to recover in time to take his place on the tour of the United Kingdom. The Kiwis will face some difficult Test matches against the likes of England and Scotland and it will be important that Carter rests up properly.
There are many benefits for the New Zealand camp by allowing this player to have surgery now. He may miss the autumn tour but the team are on top form and should be able to account for his absence if necessary.
The benefits
The benefits are numerous but the obvious one is that the All Blacks are giving Carter the best possible chance of being fit to play in the next big international series.
They are giving him much more time to recover away from the stresses and strains of being involved in training and coaching with the All Blacks. The off field activities of New Zealand are going to be just as physically demanding as on field situations.
There would be no point at all in risking Carter in a meaningless match from now until the time New Zealand play England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. If the management did not allow him to go and have surgery and the injury got worse, it would be very negative for the entire side.
The player said: "Given that movement in my foot is being affected, it's obviously in my best interests to have the surgery now."
Team are on form
New Zealand are the best team in the world at the moment by some considerable distance. They have beaten Australia and South Africa in the Tri-Nations with some ease.
This shows that they are able to cope with the loss of one or two key players over a long series. The All Blacks have not been able to name a 100 per cent strong team all of the time, which shows they have top quality and ready replacements.
This will ease the pressure on Carter massively because the side will not need him to rush and get back to match fitness. If there is a problem in the rehabilitation then the All Blacks can call up someone else who will be chomping at the bit to make an impression against the UK countries.
Coach Graham Henry added: "Dan is the ultimate rugby professional when it comes to injury rehabilitation and, with the help of the All Blacks medical staff, he will be getting the best treatment possible and we look forward to his return to rugby."
Betting advice
It is unfortunate that the All Blacks are losing a key player to their team and an individual who has made a massive impression over the last couple of months.
However, Carter's absence will not affect them as much as a lot of people will think. They can cope and compensate for his loss. This means you have no reasons to not back the All Blacks just because Carter won't be in the team.
If anything another fly-half will come in and run around like a complete mad man to try and make an impression. This could mean more points and even bigger Kiwi wins than the current side have been producing.
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