Complacency a hurdle for All Blacks, says Umaga

Complacency is one of the biggest hurdles facing the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations rugby series after their three-test hammering of the Lions, says captain Tana Umaga.

The All Blacks were due to fly out to South Africa early today for the test on August 6 in Cape Town and another test against Australia a week later in Sydney, and Umaga said they were conscious of becoming too confident after the Lions series win.

"We feel that is our No 1 enemy at the moment -- complacency."

He said the players were regularly reminded Australia and the South Africans were different teams who played a different game and the Lions series win had to be put behind them.

"It keeps everyone grounded.

"We make sure we have the same intensities at training and we are as hard on ourselves as we were leading into the Lions series."

He said the Springboks will be full of confidence after they came back from a 12-30 first test loss, to beat Australia 33-20 in the second test in Johannesburg last Saturday.

"Playing at home will give them great confidence as well and they are a team on the rise."

However, he said there was nothing more dangerous than a wounded Wallabies team.

Umaga said the Tri-Nations was such a tight contest it took very little for one team to fall off the pace.

He said he was happy with his own game during the Lions series and the All Blacks would be working on their lineouts and backline defence for the South African test.

"We have seen clips of South Africa against us last year and they cut us off in that area, the same thing in scrum time.

"They shut us down defensively in the backs. We have had timely reminders of what happened last year."

In the Tri-Nations series last year the All Blacks finished last behind the Springboks and Australia.

Umaga said the tests in South Africa and Australia would both be close.

All Blacks forwards coach Steve Hansen said the All Blacks performance fell off slightly in the third test against the Lions and that could have been because they faced three tough tests in three weeks.

He said mentally and physically it was a tough series against the Lions.

"We have got to accept that and acknowledge that. Maybe that has influences on future series when we play three tough tests in a row, with our selections," Hansen said.

He said to have a fortnight off after the Lions series was important for the players.

"Now they are back in and hungry and enthused again."

He said they may have lost a little by not having played a game for four weeks between the last Lions test and the test against the Springboks.

"You have got to balance that out with what we really needed which was to freshen up."

Hansen said it would be unjust to classify the Lions series as a buildup to the Tri-Nations. They were different styles of play.

"Northern Hemisphere rugby is a little bit slower. These guys are brought up in the Super 12 and it's a hit and run game. They you come to the test level and you add physicality to that hit and run game.

"We saw South Africa really climb into it the other day and it ends up being quite a fast, brutal game.

"It has prepared us and started us but we have got to go to another level," Hansen said.

- NZPA