The duo will play for Te Rapa against Putaruru in Hamilton on Saturday while the All Blacks take on Ireland in New Plymouth. Muliaina has been struggling with a calf injury after returning from the broken thumb that ended his Super 14 season

"I don't want to jinx myself, but I'm hoping to be available for next week," he said. "Certainly the way I've trained this week and the way the leg is, I'm feeling very good now. It's just about trying to survive club rugby tomorrow and fingers crossed and touch wood that nothing else goes wrong."

"Over the course of the last season I've got some great experience with Neath and within the Ospreys elite development set-up, but it's not something I've only just thought about," he said. "For probably the last four or five years, as my playing career has been coming to an end, I've been working towards this role, doing my masters in Physiology at the University of Glamorgan and trying to build my all round knowledge and experience."