KEY POINTS:
CARDIFF - Out of the bleak All Blacks camp came some bright news today - first five-eighth Daniel Carter wants to stick around and help the national team through to the 2011 rugby World Cup.
Carter comes off contract at the end of next year but - spurred by the disastrous result at this tournament - he indicated today he was keen to continue beyond that and be a player to build a new-look team around going into the next tournament hosted by New Zealand.
"I guess so. I'm only 25 and hopefully have a few years left in the black jersey," he said.
"It's a good chance to sit down and plan the next few years and put my career exactly where I want it to go.
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
"This black jersey means more to me than anything else. I'm keen to hang around and make the most of these next few years."
Carter admitted he gave the subject of his own future some thought as he sat in the desolate post-test changing room at Millennium Stadium yesterday.
Like his teammates, he struggled to come to terms with the 18-20 quarterfinal loss to France.
He also wondered how the seven teammates who are all leaving for French or English clubs next year were feeling, having not fulfilled their ultimate goal.
"We'd worked so hard to get to where we were. To be sitting in the changing room was a hollow and quiet place to be," Carter said.
"There are a lot of young guys that have learned a lot from that experience but I really do feel for those guys that are moving on.
"For them to move elsewhere, it's hard to see them end their career on this sort of note. They'll be dearly missed."
The departure of Doug Howlett, Luke McAlister, Aaron Mauger, Byron Kelleher, Chris Jack, Carl Hayman and Anton Oliver, will leave holes scattered all through the All Blacks ranks.
Others such as experienced locks Keith Robinson and Reuben Thorne may struggle to win national selection again.
Meanwhile, Carter dismissed speculation that he carried his calf injury into yesterday's game, saying he only limped off in the 55th minute after straining it again.
"Before the game I was ready to go and I had no problems in the game," he said.
"There was that one moment where I really felt it go. Before that I was confident, we were on top and it was good up until then."
- NZPA
