All Blacks star flyhalf Dan Carter to take six-month break from rugby union in 2014

WATCHING the spring in Richie McCaw's step last month convinced Dan Carter about the value of a break from rugby.

WATCHING the spring in Richie McCaw's step last month convinced Dan Carter about the value of a break from rugby.

One All Blacks great will follow in the footsteps of another when Carter takes his sixth-month leave from November.

Like McCaw, Carter will miss the bulk of the Crusaders' Super Rugby season and the three June Tests.

He will even follow the All Blacks skipper in turning 32 while away, the sort of age where getting mentally excited about rugby's heavy workload matches the physical challenge.

Carter admired McCaw's renewed zest when he returned to Crusaders training and then in making two appearances off the reserve bench, including the semi-final loss to the Chiefs two weeks ago.

"Just seeing the way he's really refreshed, mentally he's as excited as he's ever been," Carter said.

"From my perspective, his break has been a success. There's going to be a lot of similarities between his break and my break in terms of getting away from the game.'"

Despite having little rugby under his belt, flanker McCaw is set to captain the All Blacks in his 117th Test when the Rugby Championship kicks off against Australia in Sydney on August 17.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen says McCaw and Carter have given themselves the best chance of lengthening their decorated careers.

"Whereas we might only get one more (season) if we weren't flexible enough to give an extended break.

"The risk we run if we don't look after our athletes is that they do break down or they get sick of it, get frustrated and go overseas.

"A hungry Dan Carter has got to be a real positive for us.''

Hansen maintains the ``sabbaticals'' should continue to be rare and available only to long-serving players.

Another good example is centre Conrad Smith, who will be unavailable for the November tour to Japan and Europe.