Justin Marshall has hailed an “incredible” gesture from the All Blacks towards former Wallabies hooker Nathan Charles before Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup Test at the Accor Stadium in Sydney.
The All Blacks and Wallabies united in support of Charles before and after the game, which the men in black won 43-21.
Charles recently revealed his Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis. Players from both teams acknowledged the 37-year-old as they took to the field. He represented Australia in four Tests between 2014 and 2015. Marshall, the ex-All Blacks scrum-half, said he spoke to Charles shortly before the clash.
“What we saw at the weekend for Nathan Charles and his battle with Motor Neurone Disease was incredible by both the Wallabies and the All Blacks,” he told The Good, The Bad & Rugby Australia & New Zealand podcast.
‘He’s just taking it in his stride which is not easy to do’
“I spoke with Nathan in the tunnel before he went out onto the field. And obviously you see him in the flesh and what he’s dealing with and the courage that he has to take the fight on board and he’s just taking it in his stride which is not easy to do.
“And especially when you have to do it publicly, which he is doing but that’s because of the rallying of that rugby community you talked about and what happened subsequently was incredible.”
Marshall also revealed that New Zealand’s players made a slight change to their usual routine before entering the field ahead of kick-off.
“The All Blacks actually, their time to leave the shed, they brought forward out of their own accord,” said the legendary scrum-half.
“You have a set designated time to go out and that’s for TV purposes for your entry onto the field. But the All Blacks made a conscious decision that they knew Nathan Charles was going to be out there and they went out a couple of minutes early.
“So that they could take the time to go and see him on the field. And you would have seen the footage. The whole entire team went over to him.
“He was stood on the Wallabies side and shook his hand and hugged and just gave him their support, which was (incredible).”
All Blacks performed haka for Charles
The Wallabies did the same when they took to the field shortly afterwards. After the Test, the All Blacks performed a stirring version of the Ka Mate haka in the changing room.
New Zealand captain Codie Taylor also presented Charles with a framed All Blacks jersey signed by the team and surrounded by photos of Charles in action for Australia against New Zealand.
“So, they did it pre-game and then obviously the Wallabies did the same thing,” added Marshall.
“And then they had him there for the national anthem, which was incredible. And you could see he was singing the national anthem and what it meant to him.
“And then what we saw, the scenes afterwards where him and the Wallabies got invited into the All Blacks changing room and they performed a special haka for Nathan Charles.
“They gave him a jersey with his images and the All Blacks’ signatures on it presented by Cody Taylor after a speech and the Wallabies are in the changing room as well. And for that sort of moment in rugby, it goes to show you what rugby is all about.
“You know, rugby’s about mates, friends, and, you know, that just goes to show what support he has in going forward.”