4 Jun 2013

Carter in doubt for first French test as injury worries grow

12:09 pm on 4 June 2013

The All Blacks first five eighths Daniel Carter is in serious doubt for the first test against France on Saturday with a cracked bone in his right hand.

Carter suffered the injury in the Crusaders' narrow home Super Rugby win over the New South Wales Waratahs on Friday.

The New Zealand coach Steve Hansen says they'll just have to wait and see how the swelling goes and they'll make a call on Carter's fitness for Eden Park later in the week.

But Hansen says they're fortunate to have Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett as their other No.10s, and they've trained as much as Carter in the position in this year's All Blacks camps.

Hansen has other injury headaches already at halfback, with Piri Weepu knocked out in the Blues' loss at the Highlanders on the weekend and needing to pass a concussion test, and at prop.

Most of his frontrowers have hamstring or calf issues, so Crusaders prop Joe Moody's been brought in to help with scrummaging training with Wyatt Crockett, Tony Woodcock, Ben Afeaki and Owen Franks all suffering niggles.

However Hansen says they could all pull up fine for the first test.

If Weepu isn't fit for the series opening test against France on Saturday, the other halfbacks in the squad, Aaron Smith and Tawera Kerr-Barlow, will fill the role.