Wynne Gray: Write Justin Marshall off at your peril

There has been the occasional detour from the national selectors but since his test debut a decade ago, Justin Marshall has been the preferred All Black halfback.

Laurie Mains, John Hart, Wayne Smith, John Mitchell and Graham Henry all went for the combative Cantabrian to wear the black test jersey, decisions which have pushed him into a record 77 international skirmishes.

All of those coaches dabbled in halfback alternatives - most contentiously when Hart chose Kelleher for the 1999 World Cup semifinal - but they all went back to Marshall.

The options have been Stu Forster, Ofisa Tonu'u, Jon Preston, Mark Robinson, Rhys Duggan, Byron Kelleher, Jason Spice, Steve Devine, Danny Lee, Jimmy Cowan and Piri Weepu.

Injuries have allowed some to have a run at Marshall's job, suggestions his form was wavering have been used to judge other contenders while decisions to rest the senior halfback have given others a chance.

However Marshall has returned more regularly than the bailiff after the unpaid rent.

He has survived all sorts of inquisitions, a variety of competitors and has now decided to rule off his test career by taking up a contract to play for Leeds.

Marshall's departure is on his own terms, his choice, but the rugged halfback has one more challenge to achieve before he leaves for rugby in the northern hemisphere.

The 31-year-old is desperate to play against the British and Irish Lions. He can only do it for the All Blacks as Canterbury do not have a provincial fixture against the tourists.

Picking up an extra cap or two as a substitute would not agree with the fiesty halfback. Regaining and retaining the No 9 jersey is his goal for the Lions series.

That and a series success would be a treasured exit for Marshall who made his test debut in Paris in 1995, replacing Forster who had been in an All Black side badly beaten at Toulouse a week before.

Just a year later Marshall was part of the historic series win in South Africa and when Sean Fitzpatrick's knee buckled in 1997, Marshall was elevated, briefly, to the captaincy.

There have been speed bumps. He was ignored again as captain with his temperament judged to be a little volatile for the job, there was a serious Achilles tendon injury in 1998, grizzles with officialdom, spats with the media, running battles with his own uncertainty.

There were the disappointments of being overlooked for the 1999 RWC semifinal and then being injured in the 2003 semi in Sydney.

Criticism of Marshall has been about the lack of speed in his passing or the two-step tango he took before delivery while vindication has come from team-mates and a dossier of statistical data provided during Smith's coaching reign. Some of the censure provoked Marshall. He fought back publicly with all the defiance he exhibited on the rugby field.

He has mellowed since in his reaction to the pervasive critiques but he retains all the courage and conviction which have made him such an All Black fixture.

Marshall did not like being overlooked for the tour to Europe last year, he did not appreciate his caps going to new kids in the comp and he voiced his displeasure. He also lamented the expanded Super 14 and Tri-series as tired concepts.

They were forthright statements, especially as Marshall knew the national selectors wanted to replace him. They felt his influence was becoming counter-productive, they wanted to build for the future and the next World Cup while he had decided to have one last tilt at the All Blacks before he left New Zealand rugby.

If the weather disintegrates, Marshall's chances must escalate. His strength, defence, organisation and running game make him such a weapon in slogfests. He has channelled his aggression, he has the experience to absorb anything the Lions can throw at him.

There were murmurings last year that new All Black coach Graham Henry would veer away from Marshall, that he wanted much quicker service for his talented backline.

Whatever the whispers, a dominant Marshall was retained for all but one of the domestic and Tri-Nations internationals.

Marshall's greatest weapon may be Daniel Carter who has been earmarked by the national selectors as a longterm first five eighths. With his old comrade Andrew Mehrtens away on tsunami duty this weekend, Marshall will have Carter as his partner against the Chiefs.

If that combination prospers in the Super 12, the All Black selectors will be reluctant to unravel it for the international programme.