Dan Carter might be forced to start his sabbatical by rehabilitating from surgery on his injured Achilles.
Carter, cursed by almost constant injuries over the past 18 months, suffered his latest when hurting his right lower leg against England at Twickenham last weekend.
Image 1 of 16: Carter takes on the Welsh defence during his test debut in Hamilton. The All Blacks won 55-3 with Carter finishing with 20 points. Photo / Brett Phibbs
His sabbatical was supposed to give him