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New Zealand sweat on Carter and drop Howlett
New Zealand sweat on Carter and drop Howlett
Wednesday October 03, 2007
World Cup favourites New Zealand are sweating on the fitness of Dan Carter ahead of the quarter-final clash with France at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Fly-half Carter missed last Saturday's Pool B 85-8 win against Romania in Toulouse with a thigh strain.
Coach Graham Henry has named Carter in his starting line-up to face the French despite not being 100-percent fit.
"Daniel trained for 50-percent of the time with the team this morning and looked fine to me," Henry explained.
"But he is not 100-percent fit at the moment. We have Nick Evans who is ready to step in should Dan not make the game.
"But we hope Dan will be able to train fully with us on Thursday and Friday. We are building him up gradually so he is ready for Saturday. I don't have any worries about him."
Henry insists his management team faced the biggest selection poser of his All Black reign when he selected his side to face the French, who beat New Zealand in an epic semi-final at Twickenham in the 1999 edition.
Keith Robinson, who has only played 55 minutes in the World Cup to date, gets the nod to partner Ali Williams in the second row ahead of lock Chris Jack while record All Black try-scorer Doug Howlett does not make the 22.
Howlett, who has scored 48 tries in his international career, has been replaced by Sitiveni Sivivatu.
Henry said: "This has been the most difficult selection of our time in charge especially in the backs and the locks. Every player in the 30-man squad has put their hand up.
"We have three great locks but we felt that if we did not select Keith now then he would not play any further part in the World Cup. He is here to play and has fantastic presence on the field for us.
"We feel he is better starting the game than bringing him off the bench. We had extreme competition in the back line.
AFP
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