Departing Muliaina has mixed emotions

Mils Muliaina will have mixed emotions when he runs out for Auckland in the NPC first division rugby final against Otago tomorrow night.

Muliaina, 25, will be playing his last match for the province - he made his debut for them in 1999.

"I'm obviously excited about it," he said of the showdown at Eden Park. "I have the opportunity to go out on a bang, so I'm looking forward to it."

But Muliaina, who was recalled to the Auckland starting line-up in the semifinal against North Harbour last Saturday, also admitted to some sadness at his impending departure.

"It was a pretty emotional time last week -- the days were getting less and less," he said.

"But seven years in the blue-and-white hoops, I can't complain about that. They've been awesome years and I've managed to play with some great players."

The 33-test All Black had to fight his way back into the Auckland side after returning from Tri-Nations duty last month.

He came off the bench twice before being made starting centre in the 38-24 victory over North Harbour.

He is again paired with second five-eighth Isa Nacewa in midfield, where they face the impressive Otago combination of Neil Brew and Seilala Mapusua.

Against Harbour, Nacewa and Muliaina outplayed opposites Anthony Tuitavake and Rua Tipoki in what had been anticipated as a key match-up.

Muliaina said the platform was laid in the forwards, where Auckland were able to get quick ruck ball, while slowing down the supply that came out of North Harbour's side of the breakdown.

"They couldn't really play as they could in the past," he said of the North Harbour backs.

"Hats off to the forwards. If they can do that, they can stop any backline."

Muliaina said he was happy to be at centre, but hoped his shift to Hamilton, and the Chiefs in the new Super 14, would mean a return to his favoured position of fullback.

When his move was announced in early August, there were reports that fraud allegations involving girlfriend Hayley Armstrong, a former Auckland Rugby Union employee, were a major reason.

Ms Armstrong was investigated by police but the union withdrew its complaint after a sum of money was repaid.

Muliaina said yesterday that the motivation for his decision was that he wanted a new challenge.

"I'm at that stage of my rugby career where I need another challenge, a new beginning, I suppose," he said.

"There's some exciting talent down there, some guys I'm really looking forward to playing with."

Muliaina originally shifted from Southland to Auckland in 1998 on a scholarship to Kelston Boys High School.

He described his highlights with Auckland as being part of title-winning campaigns in the NPC in 2002 and the Super 12 in 2003.

A moment that also remained in the memory was his first Ranfurly Shield challenge against Canterbury, "when we got a hiding" in a 38-10 defeat in 2001.

So too did his debut year for Auckland.

"Michael Jones and guys of that calibre were around. I couldn't believe I was in the same room as him."

Coach Pat Lam yesterday suggested that Muliaina might not have been finished with Auckland come Saturday night.

Muliaina said he hadn't considered his future beyond his two-year contract with Waikato.

"Who knows what could happen; we've seen Junior Tonu'u come back," he said.

"But I haven't looked that far ahead."

- NZPA