Recall?

Dan Carter has responded to rumours of an All Blacks recall for the World Cup in Japan, laughing off the suggestion as he continues to recovery from neck surgery.

Carter went under the knife to correct a neck problem five weeks ago, leaving him in a neck brace for three months, and scuppering a short-term return to Racing 92 as a medical joker.

The former World Player of the Year has been linked with a shock recall as a result of Damian McKenzie’s World Cup-ending injury, but says it’s not even possible given his return date.

“I was having a laugh at that when I heard my name being thrown around,” Carter said.

“I think I can start contact training again in October. So I might be right for the semifinal or final … the first tackle in  a big game like that would be quite entertaining.”

“My focus is on recovering from this with the hope of finishing off my contract in Japan.”

And Carter believes New Zealand’s rules regarding not selecting overseas players should not be relaxed.

“What they have got in place has worked well,” Carter added

“Injuries are part of sport and as the coaches have said, you don’t want to dwell on injuries because that’s what happens. You just have to focus on the resources and the talent that you do have and work as well as you possibly can with the talent that you have got here.`”