Wallace Sititi continued on his breakout run with the All Blacks this past weekend, as the back row took a starring role in the narrow 24-22 win against England at the Allianz. The Chiefs man made his seventh cap for New Zealand in that win, as Sititi has steadily established himself as a real talent of Scott Robertson’s squad.
The head coach known as ‘Razor’ gave Sititi his All Blacks debut this past Summer, as New Zealand travelled out to San Diego, California for a battle with Fiji. Sititi shone in his 25 minute outing off the bench, and rolled the momentum on for his first Test start in what has become unofficially known ‘Round Zero’ of the Autumn Nations Series.
Before the All Blacks descended on South West London for the unforgettable battle with Steve Borthwick’s England team, Sititi enjoyed his first Test start out in the Far East, in a 64-19 away hammering of Japan. Sititi spoke to the reporting press after his Player of the Match performance at the Allianz Stadium, and expressed how his back row partner Ardie Savea has been a guiding light of mentorship throughout his early All Blacks career.
“There’s only going to be one Ardie.” Sititi said. “No-one can be who he is or do what he does. He’s a beast in his own run and a good man and a good brother. So it means a lot to me that he said that. He’s been a mentor for me, taken me under his wing and guided me through this journey and I’m truly grateful for what he’s done for me.
“It’s about being grateful for whatever happens, making sure I get my prep right throughout the week and whatever happens at the weekend I am ready for it.”
Sititi enjoyed the experience of running out under the lights, as the All Blacks and England took centre stage at the 82,000 capacity amphitheater. Sititi got the pockets of New Zealand fans on their feet with an outrageous piece of skill, which set up Mark Tele’a for the opening try of the afternoon. Sititi relied on instinct as he executed the ‘out-the-back’ offload, in between the double tackle attempt of George Furbank and Tommy Freeman.
“I’d say it was instinctive – but it was a good finish from Mark. He deserves the credit. I’ve spoken to my Dad since the game. Unfortunately he wasn’t here but he said he was proud.”
“I really enjoyed it (the atmosphere). The lads were feeling it, especially in that second half, but we just managed to get it done. It was definitely one of the most dramatic finishes in my career. A first win here ate Twickenham…sorry, the Allianz Stadium…so it meant a lot and we were happy with that one.
“I was definitely really nervous before the start. I’m someone who gets really nervous before games. It was about keeping the game simple and enjoying it.”
“It was amazing, how passionate the fans were and singing those songs. We could definitely hear it. We knew what we were coming into and it was amazing to experience that.”
Sititi went head to head with Chandler Cunningham-South, in what was an incredible battle of the blindside back rows. Both Sititi and Cunningham-South shone with heavy hits and dug in to break the gain-line, with the Harlequin firmly in contention for the Player of the Match award had George Ford’s drop goal gone between the posts.
Despite Sititi’s proficiency in a six jersey, the back row actually made his All Blacks debut in the eight shirt against Japan. However, with Ardie Savea in the mix it was unlikely to see Sititi head up the back of the pack, with the Chiefs man happy to make an impact regardless of the number on his back.
“I started off as a six. I wasn’t too fussed about moving there but it was about getting myself right throughout the week. Wherever he puts me I’ll try my best to do it justice. A lot of the time it’s about playing what’s in front of you, which is when we play our best backyard footie. I guess I just found myself out in those spaces and was able to make the most of it.”
The tour of the Northern Hemisphere rolls on for the All Blacks, with preparations already underway for their upcoming Test against Ireland. New Zealand take on the Six Nations Grand Slam holders on Friday night (20:10 KO), with the Aviva set to implode under the sheer amount of star power on display. Expressing the importance of the win over England, ahead of their incoming match with Andy Farrell’s side, Sititi said;
“It’s the sort of result that can really galvanise us, for sure. We’re trying to build something for ourselves we can be proud of. That was one step in the right direction. We’ll be happy with parts of that Test and take the win.
“We prepare for that moment throughout the week. It’s about our preparation and about that. Our leaders did really well, keeping the chat simple and keeping the comms out there, about belief and making sure we were patient. I think it was a big game for us as a group and we had a bit of luck with the drop goal at the end.”
