Still got it: Former All Black Justin Marshall plays for the Classic All Blacks side last month at the Rec Ground
Queenstown’s closest link to the Rugby World Cup believes the resort should have scored a game.
All Black star-turned-Sky Sport commentator Justin Marshall says the tourism spinoffs would have justified a game in Queenstown.
“I think New Zealand has missed a trick there.
“I understand they’d be concerned about getting a decent enough crowd but sometimes you’ve got to look a bit further than just the revenue.
“NZ would get that revenue anyway through people wanting to come back because Queenstown is the place to visit in NZ.
“Every tourist that I’ve bumped into who’s in NZ to watch the rugby wanted to come to Queenstown – and boy, it would have been great to be able to give them a game to come to as well, rather than 30-odd 40-year-olds running around.”
Marshall’s referring to himself and other former stars who played in the Classic All Blacks/Classic French game in Queenstown last month.The ex-Southlander shifted his quake-stricken family from Christchurch to Queenstown six months ago.
However, Marshall says he’s yet to spend much time here due to TV commentary commitments.
His last RWC commentary was going to be the first semi-final in Auckland last weekend.
“I was just sitting down for a boozy lunch on Sunday and I got a call from Sky and unfortunately Foxy [Grant Fox] had hurt his hand in a slight gardening accident.
“He felt he didn’t want to work under that type of distraction so I got subbed in.”
Thanks to some corporate work, however, Marshall will still make Sunday’s final.
Marshall on … All Blacks’ prospects on Sunday: “I’m very mindful that the French are a bit of a problem for us, only because in big games they’ve knocked us over a couple of times. But they’re not anywhere near playing the level of rugby the ABs are, and I don’t think they can do that, from where they’ve been in this tournament, in a week.”
Winning margin for the ABs: “I think if it’s dry, maybe the ABs by 12-plus points. If it’s wet, I think they’ll win by more.”
The ABs’ forward pack: “I felt very envious of Piri Weepu and Aaron Cruden [last Sunday] being able to play behind a forward pack like that.”
On ‘Tindallgate’: “Plenty of teams were in this country throughout this tournament, all, apart from one, without a problem. Too many off-field distractions went on within that [English] camp and I think they paid the ultimate price for that, really.”
Commentary gaffes: “Every now and then you let the odd word slip that doesn’t fit in appropriately. The worst thing I did at the weekend was five minutes into the [ABs’] game when I called Ian Smith ‘Smithy’. Everyone knows we’re not allowed to have nicknames [during the RWC].”
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