Rugby: Muliaina relishing being there at the start

Mils Muliaina. Photo / Getty Images

Mils Muliaina will be there at the start of the Chiefs' Super rugby campaign and it's a prospect he's relishing.

The All Black fullback was given the first three weeks off last season to allow him a bit more of a breather after a busy 2009.

But it took him time to get back into the swing when he returned to action, and he was then restricted to just four matches for the Chiefs because of thumb and calf injuries.

"I had gone away and refreshed a bit mentally, and I felt pretty good, but it probably took me a while to get back into the rhythm of the team,'' he said.

"Certainly this year, I'm looking forward to getting stuck in from day one.''

Muliaina, 30, did battle back from his injury setbacks to resume his test career.

By year's end, he and All Black skipper Richie McCaw were tied as the most capped players in New Zealand rugby history, with 94 appearances each.

When Muliaina runs out against the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday night, it will be 10 years to the week since he made his Super rugby debut - for the Blues in a 23-8 defeat against the Highlanders in what was then the Super 12.

In all, he has played a combined 92 matches for the Blues and the Chiefs, during which he has seen the competition expand to 14 teams and now 15.

He backed the new conference format, which includes having teams from the same country face each other twice and increasing the number of playoff spots from four to six.

"I think it's great,'' he said.

"It's all pretty new to everyone and that's the whole exciting part about it.

"Obviously the top six gives you a better opportunity to get yourselves into the playoff scenario.''

Muliaina saw the home-and-away clashes between the New Zealand teams as one of the big features of the new structure.

"The local derbies are going to be massive,'' he said.

"There's no doubting that, when New Zealanders play each other, there's a lot of battered bodies at the end of the game.''

As for the opponents he considered would be toughest, he chose one for each conference -- seven-time title winners the Crusaders, defending champions the Bulls and the Queensland Reds.

"History shows it's hard to go past the Crusaders,'' said.

"The Bulls have been very successful in the other formats and the Reds have shown the potential that they have.''

The Chiefs have managed to make the playoffs just twice in the 15 previous seasons of professional rugby.

Their best result was finishing as runners-up to the Bulls two years ago, but they followed that up with a disappointing 2010, when they ended up in 10th spot.

Muliaina believed the present squad assembled by coach Ian Foster had the goods to bounce back.

"We almost got there a couple of years ago,'' he said.

"There's no doubting we've got the potential. It's a tough competition but, as with every other team, I'm going to be optimistic and I'm hoping for a big season for us this year.''

- NZPA