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CARDIFF - The sun shone all day in Cardiff today, coinciding with a bright forecast for All Blacks first five-eighth Daniel Carter to play in Sunday's (NZ time) rugby World Cup quarterfinal against France.
The man New Zealand would arguably least like to be without at Millennium Stadium took a measured approach to training again this afternoon but ran smoothly enough on his strained calf to suggest he will start.
Earlier, he spoke of solid progress with help from muscle therapist George Duncan since suffering the training injury a week ago, forcing him out of last Sunday's final pool match against Romania.
On Monday he could feel the strain even when he walked but that had disappeared as he responded to treatment.
The man who is on standby for Carter, Nick Evans, ran with the starting 15 over the finishing stages of practice for precautionary reasons.
The past seven days had been about careful management of the injury, which had frustrated the Canterbury playmaker.
Before suffering the injury last week, Carter spoke of his desire to get himself match-sharp with the hit-out against Romania.
"The tough thing is that you can't have your usual week's preparation. It's all about narrowing down your focus and looking 24 hours ahead to what you can do to get it right," Carter said.
"I can't dwell on things like that because it's not going to put you in good stead for the game."
The calf would be assessed again after a light run at Millennium Stadium, by which time he and the medicos should have a clear idea of whether he will contest his 44th test.
Carter said he was desperate to play and there was no element of conserving himself for a possible semifinal a week later.
"If it was the World Cup final I probably would have managed it just the same," he said.
"If I did and push it earlier in the week, I could do more damage to it. Saturday's the day I've got to get it right for, I'm not thinking beyond this weekend."
The All Blacks completed a crisp training session under rare blue skies and warmth with few other concerns, although reserve hooker Keven Mealamu sat out with his leg iced over the closing stages.
Carter was intrigued by the selection of youngster Lionel Beauxis as his French opposite number, along with the switch of Damien Traille to fullback.
He agreed it showed the French were telegraphing a kicking game, and wondered if it might suit the All Blacks.
"That's good for us, we've got a good back three. It's their choice," Carter said.
"The guys we've got back their play with flair and back their instincts. We'll be looking to bring it back."
Much would depend on whether the French kickers can find the haven of the touch line, thereby slowing the pace of the game and turning it into a set piece wrestle.
That was the case in last year's clash at Paris, where the All Blacks ground out a 23-11 win.
"The French really pride themselves on their lineout so their kicking game may vary from what I think is a good kicking game, where you mix it up - short kicks, long kicks," Carter said.
The quietly-spoken Beauxis, who is the third-choice No 10 at his Stade Francais club, has come in for massive scrutiny in France.
It turns out his father Patrick built a set of goalposts in the back yard when he was young, a strikingly similar story to a young Carter growing up in Southbridge, near Christchurch.
Carter had watch some footage and believed Beauxis looked composed and able to handle himself well in contact.
The All Blacks will be out to make him feel uncomfortable from the outset on Sunday.
"Putting him under pressure, getting up and cutting down his space," he said.
"If they're looking to kick, we want to put them under pressure so they have to rush their kicks."
Carter said France had improved considerably since their tournament opening loss to Argentina and described them as "extremely dangerous" given what was at stake this weekend.
Meanwhile, the All Blacks were still waiting today to hear back from the International Rugby Board over whether they will wear their traditional black uniform or the alternate strip.
Since losing a coin toss on Tuesday and with it the right to choose their preferred jersey, IRB officials have been testing whether the black strip or the grey "away" jersey looked least like the dark blue outfit of the French.
- NZPA
