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MELBOURNE - Star All Blacks pivot Daniel Carter has been below his best but he wants to impose himself on the Tri-Nations rugby test against Australia on Saturday, says backs coach Wayne Smith.
So often the major talking point of any All Blacks victory since he took over the "world's best" tag in 2005, Carter has not yet hit his straps in World Cup year.
That may be because the bar has been raised so high during his 38 tests, which have brought 587 points and several matchwinning performances.
Carter will marshal the All Blacks backline against the Wallabies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after one of his more nondescript performances in recent times against the Springboks in Durban.
Still, there were no howlers. By his high standards, the worst crime was missing three kickable penalties which saw the All Blacks trailing 12-21 with 15 minutes left, before normal transmission resumed and he converted the two quick late tries to seal victory.
"It was really good to see Daniel have a tradesmanlike performance and the team could still win," Smith said.
"I'm sure he's looking to impose himself and play himself into the form we know he can show."
Smith said he was constantly asked about Carter's form and often had to delve into his thesaurus for a new superlative.
He said the regular questions were a reflection of Carter's brilliance.
"It's a privilege to be coaching him. If he wasn't at his brilliant best at the weekend he was still good.
"The week before (against Canada) he scored three tries and 29 points and people said he wasn't quite at his best. I wouldn't mind having those sort of stats."
The Durban test was Carter's third of the season, after he missed the first half of the Super 14 as part of the reconditioning programme.
He had a ordinary platform early on as the All Blacks started slowly and the Springboks allowed them no go-forward. Their watertight midfield defence also kept his probing runs in check.
Carter and halfback Byron Kelleher were the only backs to retain the same jerseys for Saturday's test.
Coach Graham Henry yesterday made four personnel and six positional switches, with Isaia Toeava (shoulder) and Sitiveni Sivivatu (broken nose) ruled out.
It means Leon MacDonald returns to fullback, Rico Gear returns to the right wing, Joe Rokocoko shifts to the left, Mils Muliaina trades jersey No 15 for No 13 and Luke McAlister replaces a benched Aaron Mauger. Nick Evans takes MacDonald's spot on the bench.
Muliaina and McAlister will combine in the midfield for just the second time after starting last year's 45-26 win in Pretoria.
In the forwards, there was just one predictable change, with lock Chris Jack returning from paternity leave for Greg Rawlinson.
Both sides have settled lineups, with Wallabies coach John Connolly yesterday making just one change from their 19-22 loss to the Springboks in Cape Town, with utility Adam Ashley-Cooper preferred to Drew Mitchell on the wing.
Connolly said staunch defence and an error-free approach would win it for his side, who twice went close to upsetting the All Blacks last year.
"In the modern game you can't target any specific area, you've got to do everything well," Connolly said.
"Scrum, lineout, breakdown work, you have to be very accurate and precise. Mentally you have to be 100 per cent there.
"Last year in Auckland (a 27-34 loss) we had a very good first half then we got very loose early in the second half, we made simple turnovers and let them back into the game."
- NZPA
