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All Blacks back "phenomenal" rookie Sititi to shine amid South African pressure cooker
Stephen Foote • September 6th, 2024 11:13 am
There will be plenty of eager eyes on Super Rugby breakthrough sensation Wallace Sititi when he runs out in the No. 6 jersey for the All Blacks against the Springboks this weekend in what will be the sternest measure yet of his pedigree as a Test-match level talent.
Sititi stormed onto the scene last season for the Chiefs, using his electric combination of power and pace to play a key part in the team's run to the final.
That stand-out rookie campaign earned him selection to Scott Robertson's first All Blacks squad, eventually making his debut against Fiji in San Diego. He was retained for the Rugby Championship but has only been used briefly through the opening stages of the tournament, coming off the bench in the defeat to Argentina in Wellington.
That will change on Sunday (NZ time), when the 21-year-old - the youngest member of the squad - will be thrown into the furnace in Cape Town for his maiden Test start in one of international rugby's grandest occasions - a maiden Test start out of position for the No. 8 regular, at that.
While that sort of challenge may seem overwhelming for a player so young and inexperienced, All Blacks teammate Anton Lienert-Brown believes the player named after Mel Gibson's character William Wallace - a famous Scottish Knight - in the iconic film Braveheart and the son of renowned Manu Samoa enforcer Semo Sitii has the pedigree and disposition to thrive.
"He's such a talent but he's got this cool head about him," Lienert-Brown told SENZ's Scotty & Izzy. "Nothing seems to really fluster him.
"I'm not sure if it's because he saw his old man Semo Sititi go through professional rugby and was brought up very well through that.
"He's a phenomenal athlete but I think what's special about him as well is, for a 21-year-old, he's got this cool, calm, collected head.
"I can't wait to see him go out in what will be his biggest challenge yet."
The Samoan-born Sititi grew up in a rugby-rich environment, with his family following his father through various stops across Europe, spending his first five years in Scotland.
Japan became his home for seven years while his dad played in Osaka, before the family relocated to Auckland, where he flourished at De La Salle College, eventually captaining the first XV.
After representing New Zealand U20s, Sititi was called into the North Harbour NPC squad last year before being promoted to the Chiefs, and the rest is history.
Chiefs teammate Lienert-Brown has had a front-row seat for Sititi's rapid rise through the ranks and has given him an unmitigated vote of confidence for his ability to go toe-to-toe with the South Africans' heavy hitters in an era which may well define the outcome of the contest.
"What an impressive Super Rugby campaign he put together," Lienert-Brown added.
"This is going to be the most physical game he's played, but everything he's been doing at training and when he's got his opportunities, I truly believe he's up to it.
Sititi's inclusion is one of four changes to the starting XV which lost last weekend's opening Test in Johannesburg. Fellow newcomer Cortez Ratima has earned the starting nod at halfback, with TJ Perenara moving to the bench role.
With Caleb Clarke and Ethan Blackadder ruled out with injury, Will Jordan has shifted to fullback, bringing Mark Telea and Sevu Reece in as starting wings.
After their final-quarter struggles at Ellis Park, Robertson and his staff have also decided to inject some more experience on the bench, opting to use Beauden Barrett and Perenara off the pine, while bringing in Luke Jacobson.
Lienert-Brown says the team had plenty of reasons to be encouraged by their efforts in the first match and is confident if they can retain their sharpness through to the final whistle with the adjustments they've made, they'll achieve a different outcome this weekend.
"It was obvious that we had the game in our hands we let it slip, which was frustrating," he said.
"On the bench this week, we've gone with a lot more experience so that's an obvious plan where we think we need to finish the game off better.
"I think if we can turn 60 (minutes) into 80 this weekend, we definitely can get the job done.
"Maybe hold on to the ball a little bit more, run them around. Obviously, they're strong at setpiece, so keep the ball in play and do what we do best, and that's with the ball in hand and playing attacking rugby."
Listen to the full interview below:
