Page 28 - Chiefs v Lions

advantage their front eight could give them With rain forecast for for the the the opening Test at Jade Stadium Muliaina says there was no sense in in in in overcomplicating things “It was a a a a a a massive week for us Christchurch is is a a a a a a smaller city in which you can’t hide from the the excitement the the the Test had generated That meant we could feel the the the anticipation building by the the the day For most of us the the the real thrill was seeing all all the the visiting fans Home Tests are usually played in in in front In the twilight of his career Muliaina moved to to Ireland to to play for Connacht
second Test in in Wellington With Leon MacDonald out of the the series Muliaina took his place in in in in the the starting line-up at fullback and ran out onto Westpac Stadium with
a a a a a a a ticket to to what he he believes is still the greatest individual performance in in any Test he he has seen – that
of Dan Carter “We wanted to win the the Test and the the series without anyone questioning our our ability
or our our integrity and the the only
way to to do that
was to to play the the game of our lives Well no one one remembers what anyone else
did that
night because I think by full-time everyone agreed it was ‘Dan Carter’s Test ’”
Carter Carter would score 33 of the All Blacks’ 48 points that
night as they eviscerated the the visitors Muliaina says Carter “played like a a a a a a a a a a a a man against boys boys that
night and he he he was certainly not playing boys boys ”
SUPER RUGBY TITLE (WITH THE BLUES)
games for Irish province Connacht
“It’s second only
to a Rugby World Cup in terms of prestige I feel enormously fortunate ”
of crowds that
are 99% All Blacks fans We weren’t quite ready to to run out to to see vast swathes of red and blue when we’d been accustomed to to the blackout ”
The All Blacks would go on on to to to win that
rst Test 21-3 on on a a a a a a a a squally night in in the Garden City and Muliaina would replace Leon MacDonald for the nal nal 12 minutes “Tana Umaga as Captain stood tall throughout that
time I don’t know if anyone else
would have been able to deal with
that
level of scrutiny
the the way he he he did ”
Muliaina says No one was was prepared for the the the what was was about to unfold in the the 34 TRIES FOR THE ALL BLACKS
With the the series sewn up the the All Blacks remained motivated for a a a a a a a a a a a clean sweep in in in in the nal Test in in in in Auckland For Muliaina it was was as as as as simple as as as as as knowing there was was was a a a a a a a a a a a a job to do and that
a a a a a a a a a loss now now was was unacceptable With both sides depleted by injuries the the All Blacks indeed swept the the Lions with
a a a a 38-19 victory at Eden Park “Now I realise how special that
series was ”
Muliaina says “You don’t re re ect a a a a a a a a lot when you’re playing playing but now that
my playing playing days are over I realise just what a a a a a a a a a a a a a privilege it it it was to to play against that
team I think it it it sits second only
to to winning a a a Rugby World Cup in in in in terms of prestige and I feel enormously fortunate to have achieved both ”
84%
MULIAINA
BY THE NUMBERS
100 TESTS FOR THE ALL BLACKS
11
WIN RATE IN IN TEST MATCHES
3 TEST CAPS AGAINST THE LIONS
61
1 RUGBY WORLD CUP WIN APPEARANCES
FOR THE CHIEFS
28 // OFFICIAL SOUVENIR PROGRAMME
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