All Blacks: Wallace Sititi full of praise for ‘mentor’ and ‘inspiration’ Ardie Savea ahead of milestone Test
All Blacks back-row stars Wallace Sititi (inset) and Ardie Savea.
All Blacks loose forward Wallace Sititi has paid tribute to back-row partner Ardie Savea ahead of his 100th Test in Saturday’s clash with the Springboks at Eden Park on Saturday.
Savea will be the second New Zealand player in as many matches to bring up the important milestone after Codie Taylor played his 100th Test for the All Blacks against Argentina in Buenos Aires a fortnight ago.
It will be a momentous occasion for Savea who made his All Blacks debut in a 39-21 victory against Wales at Eden Park in 2016.
By making his 100th appearance for the men in black, Taylor will join an elite club of All Blacks Test centurions of which he is the 15th member alongside Taylor, Sam Whitelock, Richie McCaw, Beauden Barrett, Keven Mealamu, Kieran Read, Aaron Smith, Tony Woodcock, Dan Carter, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Ma’a Nonu, Mils Muliana and Sam Cane.
Sititi was asked what having a player like Savea, who was crowned as the 2023 Rugby Player of the Year, alongside him in the All Blacks set-up meant to him, and the 22-year-old couldn’t hide his admiration for his team-mate.
“He’s been a mentor for me in my short time in the All Blacks, not only myself but a lot of people in the squad currently, and boys that have gone before us,” he said.
‘He’s a special human being’
“So he’s a special human being, a special member of our squad, he leads our forward pack, so it’s a big occasion in its own right, a big occasion for Ardie and his family, and we’ll build into the week.”
Savea and Sititi caught the eye with some excellent performances in tandem for the All Blacks in 2024 before the latter struck down by injuries, which kept him on the sidelines during the All Blacks’ series victory against France in New Zealand and their Rugby Championship opener against Argentina in Cordoba.
Sititi made his return off the replacements bench in Los Pumas’ shock 29-23 win in Buenos Aires in round two and he could be rejoin Savea in the All Blacks back-row for the eagerly anticipated clash against the Springboks this weekend.
He revealed that Savea’s advice to him was to just ‘have a jam’ when they’re in action together.
“That’s what footy is, that’s the way we play,” he said.
“So, as much as there’s pressure at the end of the day, it’s just going out there, having a jam with the boys and living the dream.”
Sititi admitted that Savea is one of his role models as a player and said he has been watching the All Blacks’ vice-captain closely while growing up.
“He revolutionised the loose forward position,” he added.
‘He’s someone I model my game on’
“We saw that first-hand this year. He’s someone I model my game on and also somebody to take inspiration from.”
Looking ahead at the clash with the Boks, Sititi is preparing himself for a huge onslaught from the world champions.
“We were disappointed with the way we performed in the second [Argentina] game, especially coming off a strong win in that first game. Physically, we didn’t front up,” he said.
“That’s what we’re looking forward to getting to in our week and building into the weekend.
“The Springboks are a quality side, they’re defending champions for a reason. They’ve been at the top of their game for a long time now, and it’s a huge opportunity for us.
“We always respect who our opponent is, but it’s a big match. Everyone knows that, and training has been intense, and we’ll build that intensity through the week.”
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