All Blacks great Dan Carter has his sights trained beyond the 2015 World Cup.
Injuries have impacted heavily on the prolific fly-half over the past two years, meaning he will reach the 100-Test mark against England on Saturday considerably later than most would have predicted.
The 31-year-old will take a six-month break after this tour to refresh his body and assess his targets.
However, he already knows the tournament hosted by England in 2015 won’t be his final stop of a brilliant career.
“I’m not taking a break just to get to the World Cup,” he said.
“I want longevity. I want to play for a few years after the World Cup.”
Carter says at the beginning of his career he could routinely go for a run the day after a Test.
It was a different story now, with body management becoming a major part of his week.
“Things that may have worked for you for eight or 10 years are not going to work now, and you have to accept that and evolve,” he says.
“There has to be something within to get you out of bed every day to achieve the goals you set.
“As time goes on that becomes more challenging, but I still have that drive.”
Young playmakers Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett loom as serious threats for his No.10 jersey.
However, coach Steve Hansen says Carter’s determination to remain at the top and keep improving can’t be ignored.
“As long as he’s got the desire and ability to perform, then we’ll pick him, because he’s going to be world-class,” Hansen said.
“It’s pretty harsh judging a guy when this is the first time he’s played three Tests in a row for the last 18 months.”
Hansen is confident Carter’s break will have the same positive impact as it did on All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.
Flanker McCaw took a six-month “sabbatical” this year and Hansen says the 32-year-old has returned playing the best rugby he has seen from him.
“We’ve seen it with Richard, when you’ve played as many Test matches as these guys, you need to step out of it both mentally and physically.
“For Dan it’s more of a physical thing.”