Three months after arriving in Galway, Mils Muliaina is ready to make his competitive debut.
The 100-cap New Zealand international is in line to feature in Connacht’s Guinness PRO12 clash with Zebre this weekend. The province released a fitness update this morning and declared the fullback – a World Cup winner in 2011 – has trained fully this week and is available for selection by head coach Pat Lam.
Muliaina tore the tendon around his elbow off the bone late last year and injured the same elbow in February. It was a case of twice injured, thrice shy as the 34-year-old took his time to rehab and ensure he was fully fit to return to action. In the interim, Muliaina has played a mentoring role to young Connacht stars such as Robbie Henshaw and Darragh Leader.
He told SportsJOE, ‘The whole idea of the mentoring, for now, is having a few words with the guys and giving them feedback. Something like telling them how they can run their lines a bit better and make space for themselves out there. I’m just there to help really.
‘I’m really good friends with Doug Howlett and he was really instrumental in the way I ended up playing the game. He certainly helped me a lot with my positional play and how to make that impact at international level in my first few years with the All Blacks. We’re really good friends off the pitch, we’d go out and surf as well.’
There was further good news for sixth-place Connacht with news that Bundee Aki and (Pictured below) Tom McCartney, signed from Chiefs and Auckland Blues respectively, are also available for the visit of Zebre to The Sportsground on Friday.
The Connacht release read, ‘While front row forward JP Cooney was ruled out of action for up to six weeks after suffering a hand fracture in training last week, the propping options were since boosted with the return of Ronan Loughney and Finlay Bealham to match fitness. Lock Aly Muldowney has reported ongoing concussive symptoms and is therefore unavailable this week while the medical team have also ruled out wing Niyi Adeolokun due to a high ankle sprain picked up against Ospreys last time out.
‘Ireland squad members Robbie Henshaw, Rodney Ah You, Kieran Marmion and Darragh Leader are all training at Carton House early this week. Players not selected to play in the final test with Australia will be released back to the province.’
