28 May 2013

Cruden and Carter combo an option but not All Blacks preference

10:25 am on 28 May 2013

Spoilt for choice at first five but fewer options in the midfield is the conundrum for the All Blacks selectors as they prepare to select their first test side of the year for next week's test against France.

Dan Carter, Aaron Cruden and to a lesser extent Beauden Barrett are all first five options.

With less midfield candidates through injury and players moving overseas, assistant coach Ian Foster says playing Carter at second five outside Cruden is a possibility, with the pair playing together in later stages of games last year.

But Foster says they are reasonably happy with their midfield options and believes it's shaping up well.