Dan Carter backs All Blacks to thrive amid coaching shake-up ahead of demanding World Cup cycle

In January, there was upheaval within the All Blacks camp when  New Zealand Rugby (NZR) axed Scott Robertson from his position as the senior national team's head coach after just two years into his four-year contract.

After several weeks of speculation, NZR revealed that Dave Rennie has been appointed as the All Blacks‘ new head coach on a contract until the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

His appointment meant that he also brought in his own assistants, with forwards coach Jason Ryan being the only member of Robertson's coaching group to retain his position. Neil Barnes, Tana Umaga, and Mike Blair will all come in as the new faces in Rennie's backroom staff.

With next year's Rugby World Cup set to kick off in less than 18 months, the All Blacks have a tough Test schedule ahead of them, including the newly established Nations Championship and Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series against South Africa set to take place later this year.

Despite the All Blacks playing second fiddle to the Springboks in recent years, and although Rennie and his coaching staff will be expected to hit the ground running, Carter is optimistic about their chances.

"We've got a lot of potential, and we're going to be challenged and tested more this year than potentially in the past with the schedule that's ahead of them, and that's exciting, that's what you want," he told the DSPN podcast with Martin Devlin.

"That's what as an international rugby player (and) as an All Black you want.

"The toughest and hardest challenges. You don't want an easy road, and we definitely don't have that this year with the Nations Cup and the Test matches that we have and then obviously with Rugby's Greatest Rivalry as well, which is going to be epic.

"So, obviously thrown in the deep end again and we've got the talent."

The Springboks are firmly entrenched as the top-ranked side in World Rugby's official rankings list, while the All Blacks currently occupy second spot.

Carter believes that scenario is a good motivating factor for the All Blacks and will help them to become a more consistent side.

"We're still ranked second in the world? I'm not sure. It's not too bad," he said. "I love the fact that if we're not number one, then we're asking questions and challenging, because we never want to accept that we shouldn't be number one.

"So, it's a really exciting time.

"New coaching groups and some new ideas, you know really try and keep connecting as a group and play at a level that we know we're capable of and we've shown in the last couple of years but just trying to have that consistency to be able to sort of back it up week in week out."