Gatland criticises All Blacks’ use of Marshall

WARREN GATLAND has criticised the All Blacks’ use of veteran scrum-half Justin Marshall against the British & Irish Lions.

New Zealand’s most capped back will play his 81st and final Test tomorrow morning against the Lions at Eden Park, Auckland, before taking up a lucrative contract with Leeds in England’s Guinness Premiership.

All Blacks coach Graham Henry has guaranteed that the 31-year-old Canterbury and Crusaders star will come off the bench for a fitting end to a glittering career in the black shirt. Yet former Ireland and Wasps coach Gatland, who has arrived back in his native country to coach his old provincial side Waikato in the National Provincial Championship later this summer, believes the move has come at the expense of blooding a new player as back up to first-choice scrum-half and long-time Marshall rival Byron Kelleher.