Carter to miss French semifinal

Dan Carter hopes of getting involved in some late silverware with his French club have taken another turn for the worse.

The hamstring injury that cost Carter a place in the European Champions Cup final is still bothering him the All Blacks great and he won’t line out in the French Top 14 club semifinals this weekend.

Racing 92 confirmed Carter wouldn’t be part of the playoffs match against Castres on Sunday.

The 36-year-old is in the final throes of his French career as he gets set to move to Japan scene at the end of the season.

His last season at the Paris outfit has been dogged by various injuries.

Racing 92 have problems at No 10 with Carter’s long-term replacement Pat Lambie out with a knee injury.

Remi Tales, who ended up playing virtually all of the Champions Cup final after Lambie was injured just three minutes into the match, is expected to hold the playmaker’s role for the crucial clash with Castres. Former Wallabies captain James Slipper has been stood down from all forms of rugby for two months and fined $27,500 after twice breaching Rugby Australia’s illicit drugs policy.

Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle confirmed Slipper, 28, had tested positive twice to cocaine this season.

‘‘Last week I was advised by our integrity unit that one of our Wallabies and Queensland Reds players, James Slipper, had returned a positive test for cocaine,’’ Castle told reporters.

‘‘James recorded his first positive