News

Marshall warns Carter

October 14 2008

Montpellier scrum-half Justin Marshall has warned his former All Blacks team-mate Daniel Carter that his transition into French rugby is likely to be a bumpy ride.

Carter will join Top 14 and Heineken Cup side Perpignan in December for a highly lucrative six-month sabbatical, but Marshall says it will be far from a holiday for the famous fly-half.

Marshall joined Montpellier, another club on the French South coast, at the start of the season after moving from Welsh region Ospreys.

"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 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."

35-year-old Marshall, who is now in the twilight of his career says that he came to Montpellier to fight for his place in the team and not simply cash in his pay cheque.

"I'm not hanging in there just to be in the South of France and collect a pay cheque and go swimming and go to the beach," he the veteran of 81 tests.

"That's not the type of person I am.

"I'm in the game because I still really have a competitive edge and I still really enjoy playing. And when I'm not playing I'm as grumpy as I was when I was 21 if I don't get selected, that's just the way I am."

Marshall said he had no regrets about moving to France after his stint in the UK which started in 2005.

"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."