Wallace Sititi reacts to Scott Robertson’s big call with All Blacks wary of England threat
All Blacks back-row Wallace Sititi and head coach Scott Robertson.
All Blacks star Wallace Sititi is happy to do his job for the team after being named among the replacements and admits that the bench is “even more important” against England.
The 23-year-old started against Scotland last weekend and was outstanding in the first half as they built a 17-0 advantage at the break.
Although the hosts hit back to level in the second period, New Zealand finished the game the stronger and emerged 25-17 triumphant at Murrayfield.
However, Sititi has reverted to the replacements for their clash with the English at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, a role he fulfilled superbly in their win over Ireland in Chicago.
All Blacks respond to England threat
Scott Robertson has admitted that they are responding to Steve Borthwick’s tactics of stacking the bench with some of their heavy hitters and the back-rower understands the value of his role.
“A different role for me this weekend. You know how crucial our bench has been, in this tour especially, and it will be even more important this weekend, especially with the bench they’ve named,” Sititi told Sport Nation’s Scotty and Izzy show.
“We’re aware that they’ve got an extra forward there so we’ve got to be aware of what game they want to play, but we also have to be aware of what their game’s like and how the game’s going.
“You prepare accordingly and make sure you know your role first and, when it’s time to go, you’ve got to be aware of how the game’s going and where you can bring the most impact. You’ve got to have to wait until it’s time really.”
Despite Sititi’s fine performance in the first half of the All Blacks’ victory over Scotland, he almost cost his side after the break following a needless yellow card for a deliberate knock-on.
He became the third player from New Zealand to be sin-binned at Murrayfield and the 23-year-old admits that they need to find a better balance when trying to push the boundaries.
‘We’ve addressed it’
“We speak about self-control here a lot and I guess you didn’t see a lot from us in terms of that last week and it cost us a lot throughout the game,” he added.
“It cost us the momentum, they obviously scored a few tries and levelled the score up in the second half.
“We’ve spoken about it this week and addressed it. You’ve got to find the fine line of making a big play and considering the consequences.
“We don’t want to say, ‘don’t go chasing the big moments’, but at the same time you’ve got to know your limits and see what’s best for the team.”
