All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson has backed rookie back-row Wallace Sititi to continue with his fine form in Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup Test with the Wallabies in Sydney.
Sititi made his international debut as a replacement in the All Blacks’ 47-5 victory over Fiji in San Diego in July and also came off the bench in a 38-30 Rugby Championship loss against Argentina in Wellington last month.
The 22-year-old delivered solid performances in in both those matches and was called up to make his first Test start when the All Blacks suffered a narrow 18-12 loss to the Springboks in Cape Town a fortnight ago.
Shone against the Springboks
Although primarily a number eight, Sititi packed down on the blindside flank in that encounter – a move necessitated by an injury to Ethan Blackadder – but he still delivered an outstanding performance and was one of the All Blacks’ best players on display in a hostile environment.
Despite finishing on the losing side, Sititi’s performance received plenty of praise with Robertson making no secret of his admiration for his young protege and hinted at a positional switch in the game for Sititi.
“He’s got the ability to rise to the occasion. He’s come through quickly and is so diligent,” he said. “He’s a good pro, and we’ve been impressed with him.
Ardie’s [Savea] taken him under his wing, and it’s great he can play all three loose forward positions. He’s at six, but that doesn’t mean he’ll finish there.”
That could mean that Sititi is shifted to his favoured position at the base of the scrum where he delivered several barnstorming performances for the Chiefs during this year’s Super Rugby Pacific campaign.
If that happens, it will mean that All Blacks vice-captain Savea will have to replaced or move to another back-row position. Savea made no secret that he is a fan of Sititi’s style of play and said he takes inspiration from his rookie team-mate’s performances.
‘He’s come into this team with so much calmness’
“We can perceive him as a young fellow, but he’s come into this team with so much calmness, even wisdom,” he said.
“He’s inspiring me in the way he walks and the way he plays. It’s been nice watching him in Super Rugby and then being able to play with him.”
The All Blacks head into Saturday’s game after losing three of their four matches in this year’s Rugby Championship and Savea believes their clash with the Wallabies gives them a chance to put those recent disappointments behind them.
“Sometimes you get knocked down, but it’s how hard you can get back up and what a way for this team to show the country that we can bounce back and get our feet on the ground again.”
