Dan Carter’s bio-mechanical frailties explain why he has turned into world rugby’s most injured man says All Blacks coach Steve Hansen.
The world class fly-half, who is embarking on a sixth-month break from rugby, completed a stuttering 2013 season in appropriate style when he limped off early in his 100th Test.
The Achilles pain that forced him off in the 26th minute of their 30-22 win over England adds to a catalogue of woe since collapsing in agony with a groin tear midway through the 2011 World Cup.
Four different injuries in the last year alone can be partly blamed on the 31-year-old’s unusual body setup, Hansen says.
“Bio-mechanically he hasn’t got a great body. I don’t know if you’ve looked at his gait, but it’s an ugly gait,” Hansen said.
“It hasn’t stopped him from being able to run fast and do all those things, but it puts pressure on joints and ligaments.
“What he needs now is to get out of it, get away from everything and come back in condition physically that you can do the things you want to do.”
Carter admits he has played with niggles all year, which was far from ideal.
The Achilles problem lingered through the Test wins over Japan and France, reaching an inevitable conclusion in London.
“I guess it’s quite fitting to get an injury in my 100th game,” he said.
“I’m pretty gutted not to get through the game but very proud of the boys and the way they held their composure.”
Carter has played a total of 277 Test minutes this year – the equivalent of three-and-a-half games.
His sole penalty goal at Twickenham left him level with former England great Jonny Wilkinson as the most prolific kicker of penalties in Test rugby. Both are on 255.
Meanwhile, All Blacks flanker Liam Messam revealed he didn’t mean to be quite so rough with Carter while leading the pre-Test haka.
As a mark of respect for playing his 100th Test, a crouching Carter was grabbed by Messam during Kapa O Pango and nearly hoisted off the ground.
“I warned him just before the game that I was going to slap him. But I got caught up in the emotion and tried to drag him up,” Messam said.