Tialata 'to front up'

Neemia Tialata hasn't been living under a rock.

The hulking All Blacks tighthead knows he has to lift his game and plans to get the ball in hand and take the bull by the horns during tomorrow's second test against France.

"I'm excited to be part of this team, but I know it's time I picked my game up as well," Tialata said when quizzed about his first test effort.

"Fair and square we did struggle [in Dunedin]. We can't hide the fact they dominated us up front and that flowed on to the game."

The 26-year-old said he was aware that his impact around the field needed to improve, but said his first priority would be to even the ledger with the French scrum.

"First and foremost I want to get my core roles done and that's scrummage well, lift well at lineout time and clean out.

"But I definitely want to put myself out there and get the ball in my hands. That's near the top of my list to lift my performance."

At 127kg, Tialata battled fitness problems during the first half of the Super 14, but said he was now fit and raring to go ahead of his 33rd test.

"I'm ready to go, I'm 100 per cent. I guess it's just how it is with myself [getting fitter as the season progresses]. I've been involved for a few years now and I can manage myself a bit better.

"When I was younger and a bit smaller I used to try and do every training and play every minute from the start. It's a bit different now, but I'm feeling 110 per cent."

The Wellingtonian's spot in the test side is sure to be under pressure, with a more mobile John Afoa waiting in the wings.

There were ironic murmurs from the media midweek when All Blacks coach Graham Henry accidentally declared that "Isaia Tialata" had been dropped for the second test.

But Tialata should not be the only member of the All Blacks tight five under the microscope after the French pack's dominance during their 27-22 win in Dunedin.

It's something that has not sat well with the tight five this week.

"It does hurt," Tialata said. "At the end of the day they are going to come out and want to dominate just like us, but that's what we as All Blacks thrive on, that physical dominance."

The All Blacks' emphasis on the physical battle hasn't been hard to spot in training and yesterday's session continued what has appeared at times like a week-long match.

Tialata suggested the forwards had been reaquainted with some lost arts from a bygone era in New Zealand rugby in order to stop the rolling maul.

"It's been two years since we've been playing the new ELVs, so we had to adjust and bring in, not the sack, but one bullet, one man, that's the term we've used, to tackle the ball carrier, so hopefully it works.

"We've [become] used to just straight sacking the maul and then play rugby."

All Blacks scrum guru Mike Cron believes New Zealand's forwards have struggled technically to adjust to their top-heavy French opposites.

"I think because we are taller down here we operate more with power through our legs, whereas the northern hemisphere teams operate more through the top part of their body," Cron said.

"You look at the English or the Argentinians compared to the New Zealand forwards.

"Our front rowers tend to be taller and we have more of an emphasis on their legs and I think that's a key difference in style."

- © Fairfax NZ News