Wales v New Zealand, Millennium Stadium, November 7
All Blacks expect Carter to be fit
Scrum.com
November 4, 2009

The All Blacks are confident that star playmaker Dan Carter will be available for Saturday's Test against Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

Carter has been struggling with a haematoma in his right calf picked up during New Zealand's Bledisloe Cup win over Australia in Tokyo last weekend. Assistant coach Wayne Smith believes that Carter simply needs to be managed ahead of the game to ensure that he is fit.

"Rather than a strain it's a bruise," said Smith. "He's walking around pretty well, he'll do a managed run tomorrow as part of training, then it's just a matter of getting him through to the game. I'd imagine he would be [available]."

Smith also fired a shot at Wales coach Warren Gatland, who has sought to stir things up ahead of the game by saying that the All Blacks have lost their 'aura'. The comments of the former Waikato hooker and All Black tourist will serve as motivation according to Smith.

"Some players will use that as a bit of motivation to prove something," Smith said. "Part of his philosophy will be to try and get a rise out of us, and part of it will be to try and get his own players up.

"They've got about a dozen Lions, and still 10 guys from the 2003 World Cup that Steve Hansen coached. They've got experience and they're pretty big up front and got a lot of good players out the back. You know where a lot of the attack's going to come from, you've just got to handle that."

There will be minimal changes from the side that triumphed in Tokyo, although wing Zac Guildford and prop Wyatt Crockett are expected to slot in in place of the suspended Sitiveni Sivivatu and Tony Woodcock.

"Part of the idea of this tour was to put heat on people, make it competitive and make sure players understood they were playing for their futures," Smith said. "To do that you've got to give people games as well. Within a managed environment there will be some changes, but there will mainly be continuity."

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