Carter may get call again

International News: Daniel Carter missed yesterday's work-out with the All Blacks but the outhalf of all the talents may yet be the one tourist asked to start back-to-back games at Lansdowne Road next Saturday. Carter has a slight ankle strain but could have trained if necessary at the Garda sports complex in Westmanstown.

Graham Henry has stated his intention to utilise his entire 35-man squad, possibly in the first two matches, and with one eye on the 2007 World Cup this would be akin to the policy adopted on their European tour a year ago. There's a gradual realisation this is the product of learning from past mistakes in the World Cup.

So convinced are the All Blacks they are on the right track that assistant coach Steve Hansen commented: "Hopefully the other nations don't twig on to that and start doing it themselves. The season is bloody long . . . you can't expect the same 15 to 22 people to front up every Saturday and then go back and play for their provinces and be able to play at the intensity they're capable of."

However, with Luke McAllister ruled out before the tour began, and his replacement, Nick Evans, relatively inexperienced, the one exception could be Carter. He has played relatively little rugby since fracturing his leg in New Zealand's second Tri-Nations match in Sydney, and didn't look in bad nick against Wales last Saturday, when only Jonathan Davies will know how the 22-year-old didn't win the man-of-the-match award.

Carter now has 119 points in just six Tests this season and unless Ryan is tried there or Leon MacDonald is rerouted to outhalf, the likelihood is Carter will be asked to front up again.

Presuming MacDonald starts at fullback, Doug Howlett and Sitiveni Sivivatu will be unleashed from the All Blacks' unrivalled battery of potent finishers on the wing, with Aaron Mauger inside the dynamic Ma'a Nonu, and Carter this week partnered by the Maoris and Wellington scrumhalf Piri Weepu.

John Afoa, the Auckland tighthead, is expected to win his first cap in the front row alongside Keven Mealamu and Tony Woodcock, with Ali Williams partnering another debutant, 23-year-old Taranaki lock Jason Eaton, in the second row.

In Umaga's absence, the brilliant Richie McCaw will assuredly captain the side at a venue where, like Mauger, he made his debut four years ago in New Zealand's memorable, come-from-behind, 40-29 win. The pacy Sione Lauaki and Mose Tuiali'i should complete what would be a relatively less experienced back row, and possibly less hard-working, but every bit as potent.

Like Henry, Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan will also reveal his hand today. Of his two main injury concerns, Shane Horgan reportedly trained yesterday and should therefore be named in midfield alongside Gordon D'Arcy.

Simon Easterby, who is rumoured to have been training with a protective mask following an operation on his broken nose, must be a bigger concern.

If he is fit, it would simplify O'Sullivan's backrow permutations in light of injuries to Alan Quinlan and Eric Miller also. This would likely be along the lines of the Easterby-Anthony Foley-Johnny O'Connor trio, which started throughout last season's Six Nations, with the captaincy handed to either Easterby or Foley. Against that, O'Sullivan might be tempted to manoeuvre Denis Leamy's ball-carrying ability into the equation.

Despite a plethora of injuries, most notably to the first- and second-choice captains, Brian O'Driscoll and Paul O'Connell, as well as Denis Hickie, the remainder of the team could closely resemble last season's.

IRELAND (possible): Dempsey; Murphy, D'Arcy, Horgan, Bowe; O'Gara, Stringer; Horan, Byrne, Hayes; O'Callaghan, O'Kelly; Easterby, Foley, O'Connor.

NEW ZEALAND (possible): MacDonald; Howlett, Nonu, Mauger, Sivivatu; Carter, Weepu; Woodcock, Mealamu, Afoa; Williams, Eaton; Lauaki, McCaw, Tuiali'i.