Dan Carter suffered a tournament-ending injury in training on Saturday © Getty Images
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Chris Rattue of the New Zealand Herald believes that the loss of Dan Carter injury is such a blow for the All Blacks because head coach Graham Henry has failed so miserably to unearth an adequate understuday for the mercurial fly-half.
"The Grand Canyon of holes in the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup planning has been exposed, make no mistake about that.
"The worry now for the nation of broken rugby dreams is that the quick-fix recovery operation is to be guided by the mad backline professor responsible for digging this hole in the first place.
"There have been many wonderful sports photos over the years where simplicity creates the dramatic effect and tells the story. The one published on this page showing Daniel Carter crumpled on the turf, his groin torn apart during a simple goalkicking session, easily makes this grade. Should the All Blacks fail on their latest World Cup mission, this will be a photo for the ages.
"What a great shame for the tournament, to lose one of its few superstars and probably the world's best player. As for the All Blacks - total disaster. The only silver lining is that it did not occur during a major match. So step up Colin Slade, or will it be Piri Weepu, Aaron Cruden, or Isaia Toeava, or someone else?"
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