Dan Carter has laughed off suggestions he could make a surprise return to the All Blacks squad for this year’s tournament as New Zealand grapples with concerns over their depth at fly-half.
Carter was mentioned by his former All Blacks coach Graham Henry as a possibility, but the three-time World Player of the Year said a recent neck surgery would rule him out anyway.
“I was having a laugh at that when I heard my name being thrown around,” revealed the two-time World Cup winner to Fairfax Media.
“I think I can start contact training again in October. So I might be right for the semifinal or final … the first tackle in a big game like that would be quite entertaining.
“My focus is on recovering from this with the hope of finishing off my contract in Japan.”