Rugby: Rested Carter raring to make Super start

Dan Carter was rusty against Scotland in his first test start for a year but is determined to regain top form.

Dan Carter will make his earliest start with the Crusaders for many years as he seeks a consistent run of matches which he hopes will put him in a position to wear the All Blacks' No 10 jersey at next year's World Cup.

As a senior All Black, Carter would usually join the Crusaders in late January, missing virtually all of pre-season, and sit out the first few competition matches of the season.

Not this time. A combination of his lack of game-time this year due to injury and a desire to make his mark in what could be his last season of Super Rugby will see the 32-year-old pitch up at Crusaders HQ on January 5.

He will also make himself available for the Crusaders' first game of the Super Rugby season against the Rebels in Christchurch on February 13.

"I don't need to be rested," he said. "The motivation [is there] and the body is all good, so I'm keen to get back into it as soon as possible."

Carter's injury woes in 2014 are well known. He started the season late due to an Achilles tendon injury suffered playing against England in his 100th test at the end of 2013, and was going nicely for Todd Blackadder's team, albeit outside Colin Slade at second-five, when a broken leg in the final against the Waratahs set him back once again.

The injury took a long time to heal and was complicated by nerve damage. He played only half a game for Canterbury before the All Blacks' November tour which consisted for him of a run out as a replacement against the United States and a disappointing test start against Scotland in Edinburgh.

Despite this, Carter was encouraged by the way his body felt at the end of the tour, even if his form wasn't up to his usual standard. Next year's schedule has also boosted his motivation levels.

There will be no June tests in 2015, which means the Super Rugby season will run continuously from mid-February to July 4 - a fixture list more acceptable to players and supporters alike.

The Rugby Championship will also be shortened - the All Blacks will play single tests against Argentina and South Africa, two against Australia and one against Samoa before the World Cup in England and Wales.

"The season is starting a little bit earlier but you know it's not going to drag on until August," Carter said. "You can get your teeth stuck into that and, once that's done, concentrate on the All Blacks' stuff and try to nail that and to get to the World Cup.

"When you break it down like that, it's an exciting year but I've just got to focus on the next task which is Super Rugby.

"Getting to this end of my career and it being a World Cup year is really exciting. I'm sure every professional rugby player in New Zealand wants a big year in 2015 to push for World Cup aspirations. That's part of my motivation, to play well for the Crusaders to give myself a big chance of being selected for the World Cup."

Steve Hansen has said Carter needs a good run of games to play himself into fitness and form and the All Blacks coach is in the relatively comfortable position of having Aaron Cruden, Beauden Barrett and Slade all pushing for Carter's No 10 jersey.

Carter's vast experience and game management speaks for itself. There's an unspoken confidence he has the ability to stay ahead of the pack. The key is in his ability to keep his body right.

"I was better at the end of the [November] tour than I was at the start, which is encouraging," he said. "It's quite nice to have a December in which I can train rather than have rest and rehab - to actually be able to push the body a little bit more than I normally would at this time of year."

The assumption is that Carter will play overseas, probably in France, following the World Cup but he insisted nothing had been decided.

"There are a few decisions about whether I play overseas, retire or continue to play here so I'll have to wait and see. The beauty is I'm feeling good, I still enjoy what I love doing and, as long as I've got that motivation and enjoyment factor, then I want to play this game as long as I possibly can."

•Carter was speaking in his position as a Healtheries brand ambassador.