All Blacks: Learning hard lessons from the Chiefs' final disaster

Mils Muliaina. Photo / Getty Images

All Blacks fullback Mils Muliaina grimaces when prompted to recount his last rugby visit to the South African Highveld.

But he says surveying the corpse of the Chiefs' Super 14 final loss to the Bulls two months ago is worth it if it can help the All Blacks plan for Sunday morning's test against the Springboks in Bloemfontein.

Muliaina was captain and felt helpless as his Chiefs were trampled 61-17 in their first final by the mighty men from Pretoria.

The crowd at Loftus Versfeld became deafening as they witnessed the most one-sided Super rugby final.

"We learned a big lesson that day, that you can't really afford to make mistakes, otherwise you get punished," he said.

"That night the harder we tried, the worse it got.

"We know the Springboks are just like the Bulls really, if you make a mistake, they will punish you."

Key contributors Muliaina and first five-eighth Stephen Donald are the only All Blacks involved on Sunday who suffered on that fateful May 30 evening.

Hooker Aled de Malmanche and flanker Tanerau Latimer are also Chiefs players in the Tri-Nations squad but they missed out on the test 22.

Muliaina disagreed with suggestions that Springboks coach Peter de Villiers had erred by not picking more Bulls players. Only five have made the starting team - locks Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha, No 8 Pierre Spies, halfback Fourie du Preez and winger Bryan Habana.

"The Bulls played exceptionally well but if you look across that South African side, the guys they've got there can play rugby," Muliaina said.

"We haven't quite got things right yet this year.

"We know we can play a whole lot better and that's pleasing. The South Africans have definitely played better rugby than us in the last couple of months."

- NZPA