All Blacks first five-eighth Dan Carter won't play on home soil again this year because of injury.
Carter ruled himself out of the remaining home Tests in the Rugby Championship as he continues to recover from a leg fracture suffered during the Super Rugby final three weeks ago.
The Crusaders No.10 was initially sidelined from the two Bledisloe Cup Tests this month but his rate of recovery has been slower than expected.
He told journalists he will miss the Tests against Argentina in Napier on September 6 and South Africa in Wellington a week later.
The 32-year-old is confident of being fit for the Tests away to the same two teams in La Plata (Sept 27) and Johannesburg (Oct 4).
It is a setback for world record Test points-scorer Carter, who took a six-month sabbatical in the first half of 2014 to refresh mentally and rid himself of a series of injury niggles.
He was unavailable for the three Tests against England in June, opening the door for Aaron Cruden and Beauden Barrett to contest the vacant No.10 jersey.
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