The coach at that time, John Mitchell, left the bulk of his first-choice team at home when the All Blacks toured England, France and Wales at the end of 2002. Mitchell, while far removed from Graham Henry in many aspects, shared the same belief that without some give, without allowing the players an extended break somewhere along the way, the All Blacks would be running on empty by the time the World Cup came around.
The 1999 All Blacks were saved from having to devise any schemes or elaborate programmes as the calendar was their friend back then. There was no end-of-season tour in 1998, which meant every player in the country could enjoy an extended off-season - not such a bad thing given the mental trauma that had been inflicted by losing five in a row that year.
All of these previous ideas have been dissected by the current All Blacks to help them understand how they needed to prepare this time round. What they agreed early last year was to follow individual conditioning and playing programmes signed off in conjunction with the All Black and Super Rugby coaches. It was recommended that every likely World Cup All Black be given at least two consecutive weeks off during Super Rugby. That rest was not just about missing a game - it was about missing the entire week. It is the training and preparation that inflicts much of the fatigue.
"If they had asked me I could have played," said Kieran Read when explaining the rationale as to why he was rested against Fiji and South Africa. "I would have given it my all, but the thing about tests is that the preparation is demanding."
The goal for every All Black was to reach this stage in prime physical and mental condition, injury-free and match-conditioned. It wouldn't have been possible for Carter to do that if he had been at full throttle in February and March.
He has been building the component parts of his game for the past few months. Super Rugby was about analysing the changing tactical patterns of the game; honing the technical parts of his work and finding his rhythm.
It was about laying down a base so, come the tests, he could up the ante. It has been obvious watching him these last few weeks that he's gone up a gear; that he's making himself the central figure.
It's easy to tell when Carter is confident and in his zone - his running game becomes the key feature of his offering. Against South Africa a fortnight ago, he was electric across the ground and there were times against Australia when he nearly got away in places where he was heavily outnumbered. His defence was relentless and the speed at which he jumped back to his feet and poached turnover ball was irrefutable evidence that he's now giving just about all he has. There will be more to come.
Carter is a player who continuously builds features into his play. He has added the drop goal to his repertoire and the defensive grubber kick. There will be more. The disappointment of the last World Cup still sits heavily with him and he wants to own this one.
The All Black coaches want him to be the star attraction, too, which is why they have helped him plot his way to this point. They have always known that if Carter didn't drain himself in Super Rugby, he could flick the switch in the Tri Nations and World Cup.
His season is all about 10 games in effect - the three Tri Nations games (excluding the South African leg) and the World Cup. In the final wash-up, no one will remember what happened in April and May if Carter and the All Blacks deliver in September and October.
