'Sharky' gets call to pack his bags

By CHRIS RATTUE

North Harbour halfback Mark Robinson's All Black career was resurrected last night when Justin Marshall was forced out of the tour to Ireland, Scotland and Argentina because of a heel injury.

Robinson was due to sit a stage one law paper today but that has been put on hold and he will instead head off in the 30-player All Black squad which departs tonight.

Marshall's injury has forced another alteration on coach John Mitchell, who had already lost lock/flanker Brad Thorn, replaced by Dion Waller.

Mitchell's first test side took more shape yesterday with Byron Kelleher now assured of starting at halfback - barring injury.

And two newcomers in the forwards, Otago lock Simon Maling and Canterbury openside Richard McCaw, trained with the No 1 lineup at Onewa Domain, including a half-hour scrum session under the tutelage of Richard Loe and the eye of leading referee Paul Honiss.

Maling packed down with Chris Jack behind props Greg Somerville and Greg Feek in an eight that included Reuben Thorne and Scott Robertson. Norm Maxwell and Waller locked the opposing eight next to Waikato openside Marty Holah.

"Sharky" Robinson was the standout player in the Harbour side he captained into the NPC semifinals this year. Robinson is now technically an Otago player, having signed for them so he could join the Highlanders Super 12 squad after Kelleher's move north. But Robinson will switch back to North Harbour during the November transfer period.

The 26-year-old Robinson played one test as a replacement in John Hart's side against the substandard English team at Carisbrook in 1998, the year after he made his All Blacks debut with three non-test games on the tour of Britain.

Marshall aggravated an injury to his right ankle in training on Monday and woke yesterday to find it had worsened. He was unable to train and a partial muscle tear was diagnosed.

Robinson, who was studying, was summoned to the Takapuna ground to join the training session, and is now in line to start the tour opener against Ireland A in Belfast next Wednesday.

Robinson had been "despondent" after the semifinal loss to Otago at Albany where Kelleher starred.

"Overall the team did not perform well and I was shut down. Byron played very well that night ... I thought maybe my opportunity had gone," Robinson said.

"Getting back in the All Blacks has never been away from my thoughts. That's why you play the game. Everything has happened so fast you feel a bit out of kilter but I'm just rapt to be in. I'll put everything on hold to be part of the All Blacks."

The 28-year-old Marshall's injury is a setback to his 53-test career at a time when he has been locking horns with Kelleher, the new Auckland and Blues recruit, for the No 1 position. An All Blacks spokesman said Marshall would be fit for the Crusaders next Super 12 campaign.

Robinson has the chance to push his credentials but it will be difficult on such a short tour to break into the test starters. If yesterday's training sessions are an indicator, Maling and McCaw have the inside running for test positions. Canterbury's Aaron Mauger trained with the No 1 lineup against Pita Alatini, the incumbent second five-eighths who has battled a hamstring injury.