All Blacks: Irish plan Carter kiss-off

Daniel Carter. Photo / Getty Images

Graham Henry's Project Carter involves coaxing more out of his team-mates so the first-five can return to his brilliant best. But Ireland have a blueprint of their own running counter to those interests.

By his own admission, 2010 has been a "mixed" year for Dan Carter, but the Irish are far from complacent.

Much of the responsibility for closing down his decision-making time has fallen to defensive supremo Les Kiss.

"We've done our homework on him, as every team has to do, because he's an absolute genius of a player and we'll have to be all hands on deck to handle that threat," Kiss said.

"I don't think it's any secret that early in the season he wasn't in great form, but as the year went on he certainly became the form first five-eighths in [New Zealand]. He poses a threat. The way the Crusaders approached the law emphasis and the way they built their season around a good tight-five game ... they were probably the most effective of the New Zealand teams.

"Carter was instrumental in picking the right times to open it up as he got his form into the season."

The 28-year-old has played the Irish twice and has yet to have a breakout game in terms of point-scoring, notching 18 points, all through the boot, in those two encounters.

This week he opened up about his lukewarm form in the Super 14.

"There is always that expectation, and it can be tough when they expect you right from the first game of the year to be absolutely firing," said Carter.

"It's a long season and I'm not concerned about what's happened to date, I'm still confident in my abilities."