Patrick McKendry: Fragile cargo, please handle with care

Dan Carter of the All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images

Here are some of the things we know about Dan Carter.

He is the highest test points scorer in the history of the game. He has played 100 tests. He is a candidate for being the best first-five to play the game. He is 32 and returning from yet another injury. The sum total of his competitive rugby this year is five games for the Crusaders (297 minutes) and one half for Canterbury. He is going to the US and United Kingdom with the All Blacks on Sunday.

This is where things become less certain because All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, who is quite rightly putting his faith in Carter to not only be fit enough to play test rugby - starting probably against the USA Eagles in Chicago a week on Sunday, but also be a meaningful contributor at the World Cup - must somehow juggle those short- and long-term aims. Carter will have to be handled with extreme care and a case can be made for leaving him out of the England test at Twickenham a week after what should be a straightforward victory for the All Blacks at Soldier Field.

It was the test at Twickenham last year where he suffered his Achilles injury which, combined with his sabbatical, kept him out of all rugby until the latter stages of the Super Rugby season. Taking to the field in his specially-made gold boots to much acclaim on the occasion of his 100th test, Carter was soon limping off again.

Does Hansen dare play him in this toughest of test arenas again so soon after recovery? Last year Carter went on tour after recovering from a shoulder injury inflicted on him, legally as it turned out, by Springboks Bismarck du Plessis at Eden Park and there were question marks about where and when he would celebrate his milestone after playing against Japan and France.

In the end it was, appropriately, at what the English call the home of rugby, but it ended in personal disappointment, although the All Blacks performed impressively in his absence to win 30-22.

It might be a smart move to play Carter for 40-60 minutes in Chicago, miss the England test, and play him against Scotland in Edinburgh, and, depending on his fitness, against Wales in Cardiff in the final test of the year.

Carter's talent and deeds in the All Blacks No10 jersey are undeniable, but this trip will be a true test with his comeback from his broken leg suffered in the Super Rugby final in early August in mind. That was his 40 minutes for Canterbury in the upset loss against Southland at AMI Stadium in Christchurch just over three weeks ago, a match in which he took very few risks. He carried the ball only four times and passed 21 times. He made four tackles.

It was clearly part of his rehabilitation process but he will come under much more physical and mental scrutiny on the All Blacks' Northern tour - especially at Twickenham.