Marshall is in outstanding form

The 77-cap veteran cast doubt over his involvement before last week's Super 12 final, hinting he was no longer in favour with the All Black selectors.

"I was not turning my back on the All Blacks jersey, I was just focusing on the final," Marshall said on Wednesday.

"Now I'll be in the right frame of mind. Whether it's from the bench or starting, I'll be giving my best."

Marshall will join English side Leeds after the Test series, and faces a battle with Byron Kelleher for the number nine shirt against the Lions.

Muliaina misses All Blacks trial

But after helping the Canterbury Crusaders to a fifth Super 12 title, Marshall has been reassured he remains in the frame for All Blacks selection.

"Now that I've got the Super 12 final behind me and we've got an exciting series coming up, I feel that within myself I'm in the right frame of mind and I would love to be involved," he told Radio Sport.

"I always said I wanted to get through to the point we got to on Saturday and hopefully finish on a real high with the Crusaders and then go on from there.

"That was my sole focus leading up to the Super 12. I didn't have any thoughts anywhere else."

Henry had previously said he thought Marshall was "playing as well as I have ever seen him play".

The Lions series is going to take a lot out of us All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen

Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Tana Umaga, who misses Friday's All Blacks trial with flu, is likely to be rested at times during the Tri-Nations that follows the Lions series.

With a 'Grand Slam' tour of Britain and Ireland to follow in November, the All Blacks coaches want to keep Umaga fresh so he continues on towards the 2007 World Cup.

"With the greatest respect for the Tri-Nations, it probably ranks as the third campaign this year," assistant coach Steve Hansen told the Herald on Sunday.

"That doesn't mean to say we don't want to go out and win it.

Six All Blacks to watch

"It's an opportunity to try some new players and rest some other guys who need a break as the Lions series is going to take a lot out of us.

"We have got to look at it on an individual basis. Some guys might take two games off. Some might take the whole campaign off, some will play the whole campaign. It depends how they come through the Lions series.

"We want Tana to last as long as he can so we have to look after him."

Flanker Richie McCaw, who captained the All Blacks in their narrow victory over Wales last November and led the Crusaders to their fifth Super 12 title on Saturday, is likely to take the captaincy reigns.

"We have to grow leadership," Hansen added. "It's good for Richie and it's good for Tana and if that means we have Tana for longer, that is good for New Zealand rugby."