All Blacks: Skipper just happy to go with the flow

Mils Muliaina has no qualms about captaining the All Blacks from fullback. Photo / Getty Images

After a day at home from Super 14 final duties, new All Black captain Mils Muliaina was content to ease back into national rugby mode rather than earbash his teammates about their test duties.

When the squad gathered for promotional work, sponsors needs and training at Waitakere yesterday, Muliaina just went with the flow as he did his best to adjust to a lack of sleep and timezone changes after his return from South Africa.

He was excited about his new role but also felt jaded and had little time to digest properly his choice as skipper instead of Richie McCaw, who has been ruled out until the Tri-Nations because of an injured right knee.

He spent some time yesterday discussing ideas with McCaw, who is at the three-day camp, but at training let the coaching group run the programme. They delivered the game plans and it was over to the players to learn those strategies and settle into the environment.

"That really is the focus for the next couple of days and obviously next week when we come into camp again to start the test campaign," Muliaina said.

Muliaina drove his Chiefs team-mates north to Auckland for the training camp and while he gave some thought during the journey to his new leadership duties, he had no immediate plans to deliver any stirring speeches.

He will join a list of famous fullbacks, including Serge Blanco and Gavin Hastings who have led their countries, when he takes the All Blacks on to Carisbrook on Saturday week for the opening test against France.

For now, Muliaina is thinking most about getting through the day and then getting some sleep after the rigours of a return flight to South Africa and playing in the Super 14 decider.

"I was tired, I just about hit the wall coming to training," he confessed.

Muliaina has no qualms about captaining from fullback now but there were a few moments when he took over last season at the Chiefs from the injured Jono Gibbes.

"I don't really do too much apart from talking to the boys before and during a game," he said. "Apart from that my only real problem is the scrums. But I have got a bit better with that and talking to the referees, I have got a lot more confident with that.

"At fullback you see a lot that happens and I give feedback to the core group of guys who run the game plan from halfback and five eighths. There are enough breaks in play to have a chat. You don't have to talk all time - just at key moments."

Muliaina said his selection as captain was "pretty special" but it was still sinking in.

Meanwhile, assistant coach Steve Hansen was busy settling new forwards Wyatt Crockett, Isaac Ross and Tanerau Latimer into work while extra forwards Bryn Evans and Owen Franks were also being schooled up.

"Our priority is rehashing their core roles and making sure they have got those techniques sorted so when we apply pressure they can hold up," Hansen said.

The squad had to discard their ELVs knowledge and absorb the new laws at the breakdown and lineout. Switching from attack to defence and vice versa would be the crucial transition areas under the rule changes.

Noting the statistics for the French visitors and the experience throughout their pack, compared to the All Blacks, Hansen said: "The challenge for us is not so much what they bring, it is what we have got to bring and we have got to get it right, really quickly. We know that they will be physical, that's the way they play, and we also know that they are dangerous with the ball in hand."