Dan Carter says he is over his calf injury and will play the Waratahs on Thursday night.

The match at Sydney's Aussie Stadium will be the first five-eighths' final chance to play under the new Experimental Law Variations before the Crusaders face the Brumbies in their Super 14 opener at AMI Stadium on February 15.

"I have been doing a bit of running, getting physio and lots of calf raises," Carter said yesterday. "Last week I was running for about 20 to 30 minutes in sessions. I would say I am running up to 80 to 90 per cent of what I am capable of and expect to up be up to 100 soon."

Carter has missed pre-season matches against the Hurricanes and Western Force after tweaking his right calf muscle in pre-season training. It is the opposite calf to the one that forced him to limp out of the World Cup quarter-final against France.

"It was touch and go that I would play in Melbourne, so it's over almost right."

With Carter sidelined, Crusaders coach Robbie Deans has rotated his players at No. 10 in the warm-up games, using Stephen Brett, Hamish Gard and Leon MacDonald at first receiver.

If fit, Carter should start at first-five against the Brumbies but just where Brett, who was a stand-out when he played at No. 10 for Canterbury last year, starts is uncertain. He has also been used at fullback in these early matches, a position Deans may feel shelters him from some front-on defensive duties.

MacDonald, a reliable defender, has also been used at second-five along with Tim Bateman and Gard.

With the game quicker under the new laws and both backlines instructed to stand 5m back from the scrums, there is potential for Carter to make more of an impact on attack.

"Over the last couple of years teams have been a bit more defence orientated. I will definitely help to set backline moves up, rather than having the defence up on us so quick."

Meanwhile, wing Caleb Ralph will miss the Waratahs match after suffering whiplash against the Force on Saturday night and blindside flanker Reuben Thorne, who is still struggling to shake a calf strain, may not be risked.

Lock Ross Filipo, who will be out for four to six weeks with a neck/shoulder injury, is booked in for an operation in seven days' time. There is a chance he may not go under the scapel if it settles.

Halfback Andy Ellis is making a quick recovery from his injury strain and may yet travel to South Africa for the second and third round matches.

The Press