Rugby: Muller shepherd to the rookies

Experienced Springbok second five-eighths Pieter Muller will provide a calming influence for his team in today's Tri-Nations rugby test at Carisbrook against the All Blacks.

Playing outside the inexperienced inside-back pairing of Dave Van Hoesslin and Gaffie du Toit, Muller will have to pass on some of his calm temperament and provide direction to the pair.

He also has the vastly experienced Japie Mulder outside him at centre, which he said would help.

"Japie has been around a bit and he knows what to do, but this will be a big game for Dave and Gaffie from the experience perspective of things," Muller said. "But Gaffie is a good player, otherwise he wouldn't be in the side.

"He'll have to settle into it and we'll keep him going because I know when you play a test like this, sometimes you can get carried away.

"But I don't think we'll be going out collectively to just play well and not win.

"We need to get some confidence, but we won't be thinking 'we lost this one so we'll look at the next one.' That is the wrong attitude to have.

"We are the Tri-Nations champions, but it is so nice to be the underdogs here though."

Muller is not surprised to be marking Daryl Gibson, who broke into the All Blacks this season on the back of some excellent form for the Canterbury Crusaders in the Super 12 competition.

"Daryl was very much the form second five-eighths in the Super 12 and he is a good player."

Muller said that although the All Blacks lost five tests last year, they remained a good side and perhaps too much was made out of their string of defeats.

He said teams could go through a Tri-Nations series suffering a string of losses, but the quality of the sides in the competition meant he did not feel any of the teams were suddenly bad.

"I don't think it is about getting in a rut. Sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it doesn't," he said.

"And I think that is what happened last year and the All Blacks were unlucky.

"There are so many factors involved and even if you go down by one point, the newspapers and the press hype it up as a big loss."

He said the All Blacks remained the best opposition to play.

"They've always been the best side. Everyone wants to play the All Blacks and I think it is the other way around with them, too.

"But they are playing well now and they've got the confidence back." - NZPA