Dan Carter will be hoping for a repeat of his earlier success at the Millennium Stadium rather than the heartbreak of on his most recent visit © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Dan Carter

Teams: New Zealand | Wales

All Blacks superstar Dan Carter insists he will not be haunted by memories of New Zealand's World Cup nightmare when he makes his Millennium Stadium return tomorrow.

Carter is among eight players who start against Wales that were involved in a Cardiff calamity 13 months ago. New Zealand, red-hot favourites to land the 2007 World Cup after a 20-year wait for global glory, crashed out against quarter-final rivals France.

It was a defeat that plunged the Kiwi nation into mourning, a rugby-crazy country unable to fathom how their beloved All Blacks fell short for a fifth World Cup in succession.

"It was tough at the time," said Carter, who wins his 57th cap this weekend. But the people in New Zealand were supportive. I went on holiday for a month to Europe and parts of the world which weren't about rugby.

"In that time, I just got a chance to get away from rugby, and by the time January came around I was refreshed and ready for another big season. Being back in Cardiff doesn't bring back sore memories or anything like that.

"Obviously, it was tough last year, but I have some very fond memories of the stadium. It's good to be back."

In typical All Blacks fashion, Carter and company have dominated the international scene post-World Cup, landing the Tri-Nations title and targeting another successful grand slam tour. They are halfway towards completing a clean sweep, having seen off Scotland and Ireland without conceding a try. Only Wales - or England at Twickenham next Saturday - can halt what appears to be a relentless march.

And the bad news for Wales is that Carter rarely fails to turn it on when he opposes them. The 26-year-old Cantabrian has amassed 73 points in just four appearances against Wales - 32 more than the reigning Six Nations champions managed in total during the same fixtures.

Carter scored 20 points on his Test debut against Wales in Hamilton five years ago, while three previous Millennium Stadium encounters harvested a half-century aggregate. Ominously, Carter appears in the mood to wreak more havoc in his penultimate All Blacks appearance before joining wealthy French club Perpignan on a lucrative six-month contract.

He added, "I am really excited about being on tour with the All Blacks - it is a great team and I am very passionate about it. But we know we are facing probably the toughest game of our tour this weekend. We will need to be at the top of our game.

"I rate Wales very highly. They were the best team in the Six Nations this year, and they are playing rugby full of confidence. They were unlucky to go down against South Africa a couple of weeks ago - they had their opportunities.

"They have really grown since I first played against them in 2003. A lot of players are still involved, and they've got real leadership and experience now."

One Welshman with the potential to make even the All Blacks look daft is wing Shane Williams. Ospreys star Williams and Carter are among five nominations for International Rugby Board player of the year honours, with the winner to be announced in London on Sunday night.

And Carter admitted, "I am not a huge fan of coming up against Shane Williams one on one. With his fancy footwork, he can make anyone look silly. Against South Africa earlier in the year he played with real confidence and gave them a hard time.

"Giving him space and time is asking for trouble, so we hope to shut him down and put him under pressure. We are very wary of the talent and experience this Welsh side has, so we are really focused.

"Everyone loves going out there and beating the All Blacks, so they will be throwing everything into this game. They have got a really strong side, and I am sure they will be throwing whatever they've got to try and get a victory this weekend. We will have to be on our game to stop that."