Carter's ABs cameo: Relief and self-belief

Daniel Carter's return to the All Blacks went smoothly with the star first-five showing encouraging signs in the pivot role against the USA Eagles at Soldier Field. Photo / Getty Images

Playmaker emerges from test against USA unscathed and with renewed confidence.

The big news out of Chicago, almost a revelation, in fact, is that Daniel Carter played test football and came through unscathed.

No one is more relieved about that than the man himself who freely admits he ran out to play his 101st test with the sort of nerves to be expected in a new cap.

That anxiety showed in his first touches but in typical Carter fashion, he shrugged off those wild passes and settled into a rhythm which was about as good and comfortable as anyone had any right to expect.

He moved freely and with purpose and even managed a break towards the end where there was just a sign that once he's match fit again, there is still a bit of gas in that tank of his.

Then there was his goal-kicking - a factor that may in time come to be the critical difference between Carter and the other two contenders for the All Black No10 jersey.

While Aaron Cruden had an off day at Soldier Field, Carter knocked his over as if he had never been out of test football.

"I was really pleased to get through 30 minutes unscathed," Carter said. "I have had a problem with my leg the last couple of months so to be out there running freely not even thinking about, not noticing it, was encouraging. Once I got back those first couple of bad passes I was able to get into the game. To play over 100 test matches and still have butterflies leading into games shows that I really care about this All Black jersey.

"When you have had to sit back and watch as much as I have you don't want to muck up the opportunity you do get. I was pleased just to get the All Black jersey back on."

The bigger question now is what next for Carter? His hit-out at Soldier Field was a clean the pipes sort of deal. He had just two goals - to play and enjoy it.

With that of out the way, the decision will have to be made whether to give him another run off the bench at Twickenham or leave him out of the 23 until the All Blacks play Scotland.

The risk of playing him against England is that it is too much, too soon. The game will be physical, as it was against England last year where Carter endured significant damage to his Achilles after 25 minutes.

"Without picking the team right now, I thought Crudes [Aaron Cruden] was very good and DC [Carter] about as good as you could expect him to be after being out for so long," All Black coach Steve Hansen said.

"For a guy that has played 100 tests [being nervous] that is a good sign - it still means something to him. His game will grow, it is just whether we are ready to put him out so soon against a team like England. We might be better off giving him another opportunity against Scotland. We will wait and see."

Carter will accept his fate with typically good grace and says he feels ready to play again if required. "I loved the 30 minutes I got," he said. "It was special. I have a baseline now and I can look to improve. The confidence I got from getting through the game and not having any niggles was extremely satisfying and if I get another opportunity I will just have to make the most of it.

"The coaches had been talking to me pretty closely and they were not wanting to put too many things into my head about what I should be working on and improving.

"It was about getting out there and enjoying it and I did those two things."