Dan Carter equalled Jonny Wilkinson's total of successful Test penalty goals when he succeeded with his sole kick at Twickenham on Saturday © Getty Images

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Dan Carter's bio-mechanical frailties explain why he has turned into the most injured man in world rugby, Steve Hansen says.

Carter, who will take a sixth-month break from rugby when he returns home from the All Blacks' tour of Europe, completed a stuttering 2013 season in appropriate style when he limped off early in his 100th Test. The Achilles pain that forced him off in the 26th minute of New Zealand's 30-22 win over England adds to a catalogue of woe since he collapsed in agony having torn his groin midway through Rugby World Cup 2011, and Hansen says four different injuries in the past year alone can be blamed, at least partly, on the 31-year-old's unusual body set-up.

"Bio-mechanically he hasn't got a great body," Hansen said. "I don't know if you've looked at his gait, but it's an ugly gait. It hasn't stopped him from being able to run fast and do all those things, but it puts pressure on joints and ligaments. What he needs now is to get out of it, get away from everything and come back in condition physically that you can do the things you want to do."

Carter said that he has played with niggles all year, noting his Achilles problem had lingered through the Test wins over Japan and France before reaching an inevitable conclusion in London.

"I guess it's quite fitting to get an injury in my 100th game," Carter said. "I'm pretty gutted not to get through the game, but very proud of the boys and the way they held their composure."

Carter has played just 277 Test minutes this year - the equivalent of three-and-a-half games. And his sole penalty goal at Twickenham left him level with former England great Jonny Wilkinson as the most prolific kicker of penalties in Test rugby. Both are on 255.

All Blacks flanker Liam Messam, meanwhile said he didn't mean to be quite so rough with Carter while leading the pre-Test haka. As a mark of respect for playing his 100th Test, a crouching Carter was grabbed and nearly hoisted off the ground by Messam during Kapa O Pango. "I warned him just before the game that I was going to slap him," Messam said. "But I got caught up in the emotion and tried to drag him up."