Marshall in limbo with All Blacks

Justin Marshall’s form may have nailed him a place in the New Zealand team to face the British and Irish Lions but the scrum-half is not sure if he actually wants to pull on the All Blacks jersey.

The 77-Test veteran was bitterly disappointed to be overlooked by coach Graham Henry for last year’s end-of-season tour to Europe and was equally unhappy that the selectors did not contact him personally about his omission from the tour to Italy, France and Britain.

Now, just a couple of months before he heads to Leeds to take up a two-year contract, he admitted he still had to decide if his “heart is in it” to take on the Lions.

“Some of the signals they (the All Blacks selectors) sent me at the end of last year…you know, I have got to weigh up whether I’m going to be selected and whether my heart is in it,” Marshall told the Herald on Sunday newspaper.

“The selectors have to decide whether they want me and I have to decide whether or not I want to be involved.”

Most of New Zealand will be desperately hoping the 31-year-old rediscovers his desire for the black jersey as he has been the outstanding scrum-half of the Super 12.

In Friday night’s 47-7 Super 12 semi-final win over the Hurricanes he was at his best and completely out-played, out-thought and out-classed young Test prospect Piri Weepu who did tour with the All Blacks last November.

Part of the reason for this new lease of life is down to the lack of contact from the All Blacks management.

“I have only been in touch with them once. It was after the Blues game (in March),” he continued.

“Graham (Henry) contacted me because there had been no communication before that tour left. I had never heard anything from them pre-Super 12. That was another disappointing thing. I didn’t really know where I stood so I thought ’I’m just going to get out and play and put the pressure on them’.

“It worked to a certain extent because they ended up having to give me a call and say we know you are playing well and when we select the team for the Lions we will be selecting the best.”

Marshall, who has played for the Crusaders since the inception of the Super 12 in 1996, leaves for Leeds in July but his immediate focus is the Super 12 final against the New South Wales Waratahs at Jade Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday.

However, the scrum-half did reveal that one of the reasons for heading to Yorkshire had been financial security.

“The hard thing in New Zealand is the way the contracts are currently set up. The moment I am not selected in the All Blacks I almost lose half my wages. You worry about things like that but I don’t have to worry about that with Leeds.

“It wasn’t an overriding factor in me leaving but I certainly have security for the next two years.”