Carter confirms Achilles injury

Dan Carter has confirmed he requires surgery on the Achilles tendon injury that has ended his spell in France with Perpignan.

The All Blacks fly-half has been ruled out for six months after sustaining a ruptured Achilles in the final seconds of Saturday’s 13-13 draw against Stade Francais in Paris.

“I’m going to be operated on on Thursday in Paris,” Carter told reporters at a news conference today. “I’m going to be unavailable for six months.

“It’s the first time in my career that I’ll have to take such a long break.”

With his seven-month stint with the Catalans ending in June, his European sabbatical is over after just five games in a USAP shirt.

The All Blacks’ medical team will now run the rule over Carter’s recovery and will hope to get him back fit for July, when the Tri-Nations begins.

The match against Stade was Carter’s first for three weeks, as he had been sidelined with an inflamed tendon for most of January.

Carter delivered his finest performance for Perpignan at the weekend, seeing off Juan Martin Hernandez in a duel between the world’s two best fly-halves, although it was the Argentinian’s tackle that caused the injury.

“This is a huge disappointment for me. I was confident before the match. I took the decision to play because I felt well,” Carter revealed.

He added: “I don’t regret coming to play at USAP.

“I discovered another type of rugby, and I like that. I’m just disappointed not to be able to play a full season.

“Maybe I’ll come back to play in Perpignan after the Rugby World Cup in 2011.”