KEY POINTS:
His shift to wing lasted less than a day. Mils Muliaina is back at fullback and back on the ground he used to call his own before shifting his provincial allegiance to Waikato several years ago.
The 28-year-old had been siphoned off to the wing for this return Bledisloe Cup test to accommodate the kicking game of Leon MacDonald at fullback but that switch backfired when the Cantabrian fullback cried off with his latest concussion problems.
So Muliaina, who has played the bulk of his 62 tests as the last line of defence, will again wear the No 15 jersey with Richard Kahui the surprise inclusion to fill the vacancy on the wing. Quite what that does to the All Black plans to counter the Wallabies kicking game is anyone's guess, although there were strong noises about Kahui's abilities.
Muliaina accepted his side was put under pressure last week in Sydney and did not respond well enough. He expected some slight changes from the Wallabies but it was up to the All Blacks to make the major shifts.
"To be fairly honest I just didn't think we played smart enough," Muliaina said in a refreshingly frank assessment. "There were a lot of opportunities off linebreaks and we didn't finish those and we did not win the key moments."
The All Blacks had reclaimed the lead 19-17 soon after halftime but then lost possession and allowed the Wallabies back into the test. The visitors had also tired themselves out with their tactics and had been far too inaccurate with their plays.
Muliaina is relieved that the team gets a swift chance at redemption.
"It will be a massive game for us and we need to get right a lot of things we didn't last week because that took a toll on us, but I definitely believe there are a lot of opportunities still for us and there is a lot of talent in this team and if we get things like ball retention right and execution then I think we will be a different team altogether."
Brave words from the fullback, but he was one of the few All Blacks who reaffirmed their reputation last weekend in Sydney. He likes fullback best, it is the position he knows, the one where he has built his reputation as one of the most consistent footballers on the world stage.
As difficult as this test looked after successive defeats in Dunedin and Sydney, the trick was not getting over-anxious or too fretful about the task tomorrow at Eden Park.
"That would be one of the things," Muliaina agreed. "Not going overboard or getting too anxious. There is a lot of fire in the guys' bellies and we just have to try and sustain that for the weekend and we are hurting because we know how poorly we played and that is something definitely key which we have to try and manage."
The All Blacks had made many linebreaks in Sydney but had not converted them either through lack of support or poor recycling but those attacks showed what could be done against the Wallabies.
