adminLONDON. — All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has ignored star rugby fly-half Dan Carter’s claims for a spot in a revamped side to face England on Saturday, instead entrusting Aaron Cruden as playmaker in the Twickenham cauldron.
Hansen made 10 changes to the run-on side that romped to a 74-6 win over the United States last week, bringing back veterans including skipper Richie McCaw for the toughest Test of the New Zealander’s northern hemisphere tour. But there was no room even among the reserves for Carter, the world’s leading Test point scorer, who played half an hour off the bench against the Americans after returning from a string of injuries.
Hansen denied he was wrapping the 32-year-old in cotton wool because he was scared of exposing his prize asset to a tough England outfit. — AFP.
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