Marshall warns Carter of French switch
Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:58
All Black legend Justin Marshall has warned Daniel Carter that a tough transition awaits him in France, ahead of the flyhalf's six-month sabbatical with Top 14 side Perpignan.
The 2005 IRB player of the year will head to Perpignan following the All Blacks' end-of-year tour next month, a trip which begins with a Bledisloe Cup clash against Australia in Hong Kong.
A lot is expected from Carter, with Perpignan having forked out a reported US$1.8 million for his services. And Marshall, now plying his trade in France, said it wouldn't all be plain sailing.
"First of all you've got to meet the players, you don't know anybody, you don't know who likes to play golf or who likes to go for a coffee," Marshall told an IRB podcast.
"You don't know the way they play the game, you don't know how the team's going to train and on top of that he's [Carter] going to Perpignan with not a great deal of foreign players.
"He's got the language barrier as well so it's going to take some time to adjust.
"There's going to be a little bit of a reality check for him, so it will be interesting."
Marshall on the other hand, who earns his rugby 'pension' playing for Montpellier, headed to the United Kingdom after his All Black career ended in 2005.
The 81-Test veteran's signing for the French side followed a premature exit from the Ospreys, where he was locked in a rocky duel for the No.9 jersey with Welsh Test star, Mike Phillips.
But Marshall admitted it was the right decision for him to make.
"I've done New Zealand, I've done the UK and played the Premiership, had the opportunity to play the Magners League and really thoroughly enjoyed it," he said.
"But the French thing was the one thing I've always really wanted to do.
"And I'm thoroughly enjoying it so I'm happy with my decision now."
