Mils Muliaina makes the right calls

LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff.co.nz

CONGRATS MATE: All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen (right) congratulates fullback Mils Muliaina after playing his 81st test appearance for New Zealand.

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Mils Muliaina was heard calling his mum from the Twickenham changing sheds.

The fullback had just become the second most capped All Black, his 81 appearances drawing him level with Justin Marshall.

Muliaina may have been calling home to mark the occasion, but he may also have wanted to share his best test of the year with his family.

"It's great. We opened the curtains this morning and saw the weather and it looked like we might be chasing a few kicks," he said.

"But we've trained hard in the past few weeks to get our counter-attack skills better and work as a unit, as a back three. When you are doing that it's hard not to have fun."

Against England, Muliaina was a constant threat, though he will be angry he didn't score when he was nudged out by Ugo Monye in the corner.

Muliaina, who will sit out the early rounds of next year's Super 14, has not always had his glow this season and has admitted the captaincy in the absence of Richie McCaw early on had drained him mentally.

But he proved against England that if his fuse is lit he remains the best custodian in the business.

At Twickenham he found his spark, perhaps through a desire to finish the season in style against France in Marseille in six days.

"It's going to be a big week and the coaches have a massive task to pick a team to do the business," he said. "This really is a massive test for us. We're going to throw everything at this French team."