Carter fills fullback gap for depleted Crusaders

SYDNEY - Daniel Carter may be the future All Blacks first five-eighths, but he has been shunted to fullback for the Crusaders' final Super 12 rugby trial against Queensland in Brisbane tomorrow.

Carter is back in the position he filled for Canterbury in the latter stages of last year's NPC as coach Robbie Deans juggles a severely depleted squad less than two weeks out from the season opener against defending champions Brumbies in Canberra.

Off-season surgery, illness and casualties from trial defeats against the Highlanders and Waratahs leave Deans with just 21 of the original 28-man squad currently available for selection.

Scott Hamilton's sprained ankle during last Saturday's 14-39 loss to the Waratahs is expected to sideline him for a month and, coupled with Leon MacDonald's belated arrival from Japan, Deans had little choice but to start veteran Andrew Mehrtens at pivot with Carter coming in at 15 at Ballymore.

A similar scenario is likely to play out on February 26 at Canberra Stadium although Deans indicated yesterday MacDonald may be pressed into service if his team, Yamaha, do not make the Japanese Top League final.

Deans said Carter was only a stopgap at fullback and other options include using Aaron Mauger or Rico Gear, who filled in against the Waratahs when Hamilton limped off.

Of the travelling squad, prop Greg Feek (calf) and hooker Tone Kopelani (concussion) will not play against the Reds although their injuries are not considered serious.

Replacement hooker Ti'i Paulo joined the team here yesterday, the third training squad member to tour (flanker George Naoupu and halfback Andrew Ellis are both in the reserves as cover for Norm Maxwell, Mose Tuial'i, Johnny Leo'o and virus-stricken Justin Marshall).

Deans is anxious to see a significant improvement on the error-ridden display against the Waratahs.

- NZPA