Inga Tuigamala: Cardiff performance crucial to confidence next year

Graham Henry. Photo / Getty Images

Opinion

The All Blacks need to finish the season in style against Wales.

The Welsh were abysmal against Fiji. They lacked cohesion and even looked intimidated by their opponents, although Fiji played very well on their way to a 16-16 draw.

The glaring Welsh weakness is their backline and you would expect the power-packed All Black unit to run all over them.

I suspect the best Wales will have to offer is a stirring opening 10 or 15 minutes.

Style, to my mind, means doing the right things at the right time for the right reasons, so I'm not advocating willy-nilly rugby.

Maybe more than anything, the All Blacks will want to end the season by really enjoying themselves, which will involve being ruthless when they need to and creative when the chances arise.

I suspect the Super 15 might prove a tricky proposition next year, because there will be so much focus on the World Cup.

It will be vitally important that the All Blacks end the season on a high, giving them a nice confidence going into the 2011 season.

A shabby performance in Cardiff will only serve to stir up unwanted pressure going into a year when there will be pressure enough.

The All Blacks are getting stronger and stronger on this tour and what stands out is their ability to take hold of games when they need it, to put a foot on the throat and not take it off.

Ireland defended superbly across the width of the field yet the All Blacks roared away in the second half, and from what we gather there were some absolutely battered Irishmen after the game because of all the tough defending they had to do.

The All Blacks also appear to be able to bring on almost any replacement without any disruption to momentum.

A side issue to Sunday morning's match is the coaching rivalry between Graham Henry and Warren Gatland, an old All Black teammate of mine.

Gatty has been unable to stop Henry's teams marching on, and I'm sure the All Black coach will have one of his trademark grins come the end of the All Blacks' final test of the year.

* Inga Tuigamala played 19 tests for the All Blacks.