‘Sometimes I have to pinch myself’ – All Blacks rookie reflects on being in the same team as his hero
All Blacks back-rowers Wallace Sititi and Ardie Savea.
New All Blacks number eight Wallace Sititi has described his emotions after making his Test debut earlier this month and being in the same squad as one of his heroes, Ardie Savea.
After delivering several barnstorming performances for the Chiefs which helped them reach the Super Rugby Pacific final – which they lost to the Blues – Sititi earned a call-up to the All Blacks squad for their mid-year Tests against England and Fiji.
He was not in action in the victories over the Red Rose in Dunedin and Auckland but came on as a replacement for Savea midway through the second half of the All Blacks‘ 47-5 victory in San Diego earlier this month.
The 21-year-old, who is the son of former Samoa captain and back-row Semo Sititi, admitted that he is still on cloud nine after that momentous occasion which was extra special as his parents were in attendance.
‘Still buzzing’
“Still a bit shocked. Yeah, still buzzing. San Diego was a good time,” he told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod. “Yeah, it was really good weather. Sort of nice weather just to chill out and I guess get away from stuff as well.
“But yeah, having my parents there as well was special.”
When asked if his dad gave him any advice ahead of his Test debut, Sititi replied: “Oh, definitely. We talk about it a lot, I feel like. And he sort of told me just to enjoy the occasion. Play to your strengths and yeah, just enjoy the moment.”
Being in the same company as Savea is something Sititi admits is special as the current World Rugby Player of the Year is one of three current or former All Blacks that he describes as his rugby heroes.
“Ardie Savea is definitely up there,” he said. “I think Jerome Kaino was one of them as well. Sort of his presence, being able to back up efforts and just being able to control those collision areas. He is definitely someone I look up to.
“I guess someone like Ben Smith as well comes to mind. Just his poise and I guess his consistency throughout the years he’s been playing, definitely something I look to as well.”
Sititi also revealed what it was like being around Savea during his time with the All Blacks.
“Just sitting next to him, sometimes I have to pinch myself,” he said. “I think when in that first game, singing the anthem, I was next to him as well.”
Sititi was in his first season of Super Rugby this year with the Chiefs and he credits his pre-season fitness training sessions with the Hamilton-based outfit with helping him earn his All Blacks selection.
“(Chiefs coach) Clayton (McMillan), he just sort of was being straight up with me and told me that I need to get fitter and I need to get stronger,” he explained.
“And I think it worked really well for me especially in that pre-season sort of, trying to get fitter and like I said, stronger and it just helps me with my repeated efforts in the game and yeah, I think it was sort of evident, I guess.”
Learning from his team-mates
The competition for places in the back-row is tough in the All Blacks squad with the likes of Savea, Sam Cane, Luke Jacobson, Ethan Blackadder, Dalton Papali’i and Samipeni Finau in the mix, but Sititi revealed that for him it is a good learning experience to be in the company of the other back-rowers, who are all more experienced than him.
“I think firstly just having (Chiefs team-mates) Luke and Peni there definitely sort of creates a bit of comfort for me,” he said.
“Someone close to you, I know I can go to but then also having the likes of Ardie and Ethan who’s sort of been there and been there for a long time and just learning off them and sort of taking me under their wings.
“And they’re such good guys firstly and yeah, they definitely, sort of, I guess guided me throughout the process.”
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