ABs preparation not ideal says Carter

Preparation for "the biggest challenge the All Blacks have probably ever faced" has been far from ideal admits first five-eighth Daniel Carter.
The star playmaker kicked off test week here in honest style, admitting the All Blacks would have benefited from a decent hit out before facing the Lions at Jade Stadium on Saturday.
The recent 91-0 romp over Fiji by the All Blacks was a world away from the challenge posed by tourists, who he said had improved considerably over their five matches so far.
"It would have been good to have a tighter sort of test before the Lions," Carter said.
"We'd like longer together but the way it's worked out, we haven't had a chance with the Super 12.
"I was probably expecting a bit more from the Fijians, especially the week before just going down to the Maori side ... it's going to be totally different this weekend."
Carter said the All Blacks had covered plenty of ground in the week leading up to the Fiji test and again since gathering in Auckland last Tuesday. This week was about moving away from general patterns and focusing on how to attack the Lions.
It was difficult to plan for their opponents as they had changed their combinations so often and still seemed to be settling on a game plan that incorporated the best of four nations.
"They've made big steps. It was always going to be tough changing players and what not for each game but there has been an improvement in the way they've played," he said.
"If you look at the Wellington game (won 23-6), they were really fizzed up for that. They'd obviously done a lot of work on the breakdown, where they weren't doing so well.
"They've shown that when they improve that area they're really strong and play some good footy."
Carter didn't mince his words when asked to gauge the size of the challenge ahead. It would require the All Blacks to quickly rediscover the form that saw them rampage to victory over France at Paris in November ? their final test of 2004.
"It's going to be the biggest challenge the All Blacks have probably ever faced," he said.
"(Paris) was a good step for us back then. We've got some new players in the side now but a lot of the same guys are still there.
"We've just looked to continue on that sort of form. We've got a new challenge with the Lions, they're going to be quite a lot stronger than the French side that we faced... I think we'll have to step up another level from what we did against France if we're going to come out (ahead) this weekend."
The All Blacks trained twice on Monday, the second a public training in wintry conditions at QE II park. The crowd of nearly 2000 was about double the number attracted to a Lions public session at the same venue a week earlier.
New Zealand's test team was named yesterday with Justin Marshall getting the starting halfback spot ahead of Byron Kelleher ? NZPA