Marshall gets backing from Tuqiri

Marshall gets backing from Tuqiri

Dual international Lote Tuqiri believes team-mate Benji Marshall will excel at rugby union but has warned code-hopper Israel Folau to get used to being starved of possession in the 15-man code.

Marshall's decision to switch codes and join the Blues on a two-year deal from next season has polarised opinion on both sides of the Tasman.

But Tuqiri, who played 67 Tests for the Wallabies, expects 28-year-old Marshall to prove his critics wrong.

"I think he'll go really well," Tuqiri, who will play his 150th NRL game against South Sydney on Friday night, said of Marshall.

"I think he's really pumped to get over there and do something but he's got two games for us to play really good footy and I think he did that on the weekend.

"We'll have a few chats over the next couple of weeks but we're all excited for him, it's a new chapter in his life but he's got two weeks to play well for us."

Folau has been a revelation for the Waratahs and Wallabies since switching from AFL this season.

He burst onto the international scene with two tries in his Test debut against the British and Irish Lions in June but has been starved of possession in the first two Bledisloe Cup Tests against New Zealand.

The 24-year-old scored a 70m intercept try in Saturday's 27-16 loss to the Kiwis but hardly touched the ball in attack.

Asked what Folau can do to get more involved, Tuqiri said: "Yeah I don't know, I don't know. I probably had the same problem at times ... but as a winger in rugby you've actually got to hold your shape and stay out there as much as you can because anything can happen.

"It's an unlimited tackle count and everything else so you can't sort of just come in for the sake of it.

"I think there's a lot of things he can do and (Wallabies coach) Ewen (McKenzie) is there and they've got a good coaching staff at the Wallabies to help him with that."

Tuqiri says it took him a full season of Test rugby to learn how to get his hands on the ball more frequently and admits he felt frustrated at times when he first made the switch in 2002.

"At times I did (get frustrated) because sometimes you just don't get your hands on the ball," he said.

"Sometimes it'll be a forward orientated game and there's a lot of kicks and there's rucks and mauls and then there's scrums and lineouts.

"And when the ball does come it sort of stops and 12 or 13 and gets recycled so it's just things you've got to get used to.

"It's not to say he's not playing well because sometimes that's just how the game goes."

Asked if he has spoken to Folau recently, Tuqiri replied: "I haven't, not for a bit, no. But he's going well, I don't think he needs my advice."

i enjoyed tiquiris take on folau, not surprised to hear him say what he did about his tigers teammate marshall, pretty standard stuff there.
 
after reading all the possible arguments regarding where benji should play when he converts to union, im even more convinced that flyhalf is the best position for him and its where he will find his union groove the quickest.
there are 4 possible positions that fans and experts alike have touted for marshall, halfback, flyhalf, inside center and fullback.
 
of these 4 positions, flyhalf is the one area where benjis skill set can be best utilized, hes spent most of his league lifetime playing at flyhalf and the two positions are similar, with the main difference being unions No10 kicks a lot more
 
halfback is IMO out of the question. i believe that having to run from ruck to ruck continuously, guiding the forwards and letting them know what he needs, and all the while being aware of all thats going on around him would be just too much for him.
he may have a killer passing game, but that passing game would be wasted, especially as his passing game in creating gaps and keeping the defence on high red alert.
also the blues have a seasoned veteran like weepu as well as brynn hall who already know what theyre doing, weepus experience working in tangent with marshall will help marshal develop even quicker.
 
i have question marks around benji at 12, IMO he can handle all the highway traffic which is sure to come his way, but the differences on defence might be a bit much, i can see him getting a little lost when defending multiple phases and ive seen better league centers epically fail at this level, tahu is a prime example.
 
i can see benji playing fullback though, he has a better attacking game then cooper, with none of coopers defensive issues. hes got a decent kicking game, so he could really shine at fullback.
this however would mean piutau would have to go to the wing, cos theres no way u would bench piutau.
 
from both a blues and benji point of view, flyhalf needs to be the way to go, also noakes while having a great all round game, his defence is not up to spXV standard.

 saSUE  it should be on the top of McKenzies agenda to get more out of Falau. Perhaps it was his inexperience but seldom has one ever seen a backline player loaf like that - especially in such a big match.

@beeno1 aka storminged,

it should be on top of mackenzies agenda, we all know what folau can do and mackenzie needs to adopt the same formula the waraths used which was play him at fullback.

i rate mogg a lot, but the All Blacks showed him up big time, im sure mogg has got some south african blood in him, cos kicking away possesion came very natural to him.

and ur right, it was his inexperience which saw him unable to asset himslef, though ive seen that happen plenty of times before and not just by nobodies, habana, savea, gear have all been guilty of going missing at diffenrt games, the difference with folau is hes still green.

but given the hidings the wallabies are getting at the moment, i question folaus desire to remain in the wallabies in the future, cos theres going to be a lot of money free soon in the NRL and im sure folau wouldnt mind being in an enviroment which is more familiar to winning then losing.

will be bad news for the Boks if folaus plays fullback against them.