Sean Maitland knows how to deal with Dan Carter.

"Shut down his space," said the Scotland winger about his former Crusaders team-mate the other day. "Don't give them time on the ball." So much for the principles, what of the technical detail? On that, Maitland was rather less forthcoming.

Small wonder. Since the day the 21-year-old Carter made his Test debut against Wales in 2003 - when he contributed 20 points to the New Zealanders' 55-23 win - international sides have been puzzling over that very issue. Get Carter and you get the All Blacks, they have all agreed. But very few have ever worked out how to do the first bit.

In many eyes, Carter has already established himself as the greatest fly-half the game has ever seen. Better than Barry, better than Jonny, better than Hugo Porta, Michael Lynagh and all the rest of them. Even those who have hedged their bets on that particular question would probably concede that the 32-year-old has time to settle the issue for ever. And a World Cup winner's medal next year would probably do the trick.

Which is why yesterday's All Blacks team announcement in Edinburgh was so significant. Over the past year, Carter's entire involvement in international rugby adds up to the 30 minutes cameo appearance he made as a replacement against the USA in Chicago two weeks ago. In terms of his rehabilitation, it was always seen that appearing in the starting lineup, as he will do against Scotland at BT Murrayfield on Saturday, was a far more important step.

"There is a lot of excitement about starting this weekend," said Carter as he sat in the team hotel. "It has been almost 12 months since the last time I started for the all Blacks.

"I've talked a lot in the past about what the jersey means to me, so to have another opportunity to put that No.10 jersey on is exciting."

For many of his admirers, which means just about everyone in New Zealand, it is also a time of trepidation. Carter confirmed his genius with his almost single-handed demolition of Clive Woodward's Lions on a wet and windy Wellington night in 2005 - "a performance of greatness by Carter," purred former England fly-half Stuart Barnes as he watched - but it would be fair to say he has never quite scaled that height since.

There have been some superb performances, of course, but anyone who has expected sorcery every time he has played would probably have to admit to disappointment.

Carter ended 2005 as the IRB world player of the year - he collected the award at a glittering ceremony in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum - and repeated the achievement in 2012. In many circles, however, the 2012 award was seen as a consolation for the fact he had missed the latter stages of his country's World Cup triumph the previous year after suffering a groin injury earlier in the tournament.

Even he was said to have been embarrassed by the accolade, as 2012 was hardly a vintage year. But 2015 still could be.

Because the World Cup is unfinished business? Carter is in no mind to set himself up for a fall, but you can tell it drives him on.

"I guess giving another World Cup a crack was not the full reason why I decided to re-sign [with the New Zealand Union] for another four years, but it was obviously disappointing not to be there in the play-off stages because I had worked so hard to be there," he said.

"But once I got over that disappointment, I just wanted to work hard and get back playing. It has been challenging over the three years since then, but I can't too far ahead. I just want to make the most of each moment.

"I'm available for a Test match this weekend. There might not be all that many more. I know I'm not going to be playing in the black jersey for another five or 10 years so I want to make the most of every moment that I've got."

To prolong his career, Carter took a sabbatical from rugby for the first six months of this year. He showed some fine form in the weeks after his return, but his grand plan fell apart when he suffered a leg fracture playing for the Crusaders against the Waratahs in the Super Rugby final in August. Bad luck, of course, but over the past four or five seasons he has rarely played a game in which he was entirely free of one injury concern or other.

Such things can get a fellow down, and Carter admits that he has experienced some bleak moments along the way. "There has been a lot of frustration throughout the year," he explained. "Doubt has crept in at certain periods. But once you get over that and get back to your plan and your goals you become more focused on what needs to be done.

"For me to get back into the position where I'm able to play for the All Blacks once again is a great challenge.

"But it's just the start. I'm not finished or happy with where I'm at. It's just an opportunity to continue to grow and make the most of this moment. There are all sorts of doubts with your body when you have had injuries like I've had.

"That's probably the biggest thing. In your darkest times you question whether you'll ever get the chance to put the jersey on again.

"It is normally straight after an injury, but you soon get out of that hole and move on."

Steve Hansen, the All Blacks coach, is certainly happy with what he sees. As he should be, as Carter's ability to control a game from the first whistle has been sorely missed through a run of games in which, as well as Aaron Cruden, the second-choice playmaker, has performed, they have often looked suspect in the early stages.

Hansen believes that Carter has rolled back the years in the build-up to his return to the starting line-up on Saturday, suggesting that the fly-half has been like an eager 20-year-old in training. Carter smiled at that suggestion, but he did make it clear that just being there at Murrayfield, the ground where he won four of his 101 caps to date, will not be enough.

Carter said: "Every time I pull on the black jersey I want to be one of the best players out there, if not the best. That's what I will be striving to do this weekend, doing everything I can to help the All Blacks get to the win and get the performance they will be satisfied with. Just getting through it is not enough from me."