KEVEN MEALAMU has warned Scotland not to expect another under-par performance from New Zealand when the sides meet at Murrayfield on Sunday.
The All Blacks are devastated at having only managed a draw against Australia in their last outing just more than a fortnight ago, especially as it brought to an end a 16-game winning streak which stretched back to before the 2011 World Cup.
Andy Robinson said afterwards that he had spotted aspects of New Zealand's play in that match that he thinks Scotland can capitalise on. "New Zealand made a number of handling errors, probably more than I have seen from an All Black team in a long time, so if you can put their passing and the accuracy they have under pressure, then you can put them under pressure," he said. "What we are going to try to do is not rocket science; it is going to be an 80-minute performance of getting stuck into them."
Mealamu, pictured, has vowed that he and his team-mates have learned their lesson and will not be so profligate with opportunities in the future.
"We walked away from the game feeling disappointed that we didn't play well, we left some great opportunities out there, so the last couple of days have been about looking at that last game and taking some key lessons out of that game," he said. "If we get ourselves in that position again we won't fall over but arrive in a better state,' said the hooker, who has been capped 100 times for his country.
"As a team, I think we are always trying to improve, and coming off our last game we want to make sure that we do the job well. Put the score aside, we want to make sure we put a good performance together. That is key for us this week. If we can do that, we'll be happy."
Mealamu went on to explain that New Zealand will not put too much store in analysing Scotland, but focus instead on getting their own game right.
"We can look back at the tape and see how they played but we really just need to make sure we go out there and give a good performance. If we do our job well, and prepare right, we give ourselves the best chance to win," he said. "We expect a Scotland side trying to win, no matter what it looks like. We'll just prepare for the unexpected."
Mealamu has been a virtual ever-present for the All Blacks since making his international debut a decade ago, and with a World Cup winners' medal now in his possession, you could be forgiven for wondering if there is anything left for the 33-year-old to prove.
One question about the prospect of staying involved through to the 2015 World Cup quickly dispels any doubts about his long-term commitment to the cause.
"I still love what I am doing, I still enjoy being a part of the team, I am still excited about the things I learn in this team, and so I still think it is a great possibility," he said.
"The guys who have been around for a while are in reasonable nick, we've been able to look after ourselves well, and the team has looked after us well, so it is just a matter of knowing that's what you want to do and putting everything into it to make sure you get there."
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