Sitiveni relishing reaching fifty

On Saturday, Chiefs winger Sitiveni Sivivatu will play his 50th game for the franchise and still remembers being a nervous wreck when he made his Super Rugby debut way back in 2003.

On Saturday, Chiefs winger Sitiveni Sivivatu will play his 50th game for the franchise and still remembers being a nervous wreck when he made his Super Rugby debut way back in 2003.

The All Black star becomes the thirteenth player in the franchise's thirteen-year history to do so, and admits he has become a lot wiser in his ways.

Sivivatu was a 20-year-old playing out of Counties Manukau at the time of his debut and that season scored three tries in nine games in a less than memorable Chiefs season.

Since then he has gone on to chalk up a total of 27 tries in 49 games and scored another 21 touchdowns in as many tests for the All Blacks.

“I was pretty nervous back then,” said Sivivatu told the Waikato Times of his first game for the Chiefs.

“There was a lot of energy and I just wanted to tackle anything that moved. But these days it helps to have a little bit of brain and settle down in a game and just see what you can do to help the team out.”

While Sivivatu said the landmark meant a lot to him and his family, he did not actually know it was so close until told a couple of days ago.

“But I'm really excited. It is hard for us players to get 50 these days but it's a privilege.”

Sivivatu is injury-free and fit but still trying to find his best form.

“I'm just taking probably a few games to get into the rhythm of the game, because it's so fast, but the body's all right,” he said

Sivivatu said the Super 14 was a long competition and it was important to remain positive after a first-round loss, and if they could get quality set-phase ball they would give it a “good crack” against a strong Waratahs team at Waikato Stadium on Saturday.

The Fijian wing influence in the match will be strong with Wallaby Lote Tuqiri on one wing for the Waratahs and North Harbour's Viliame Waqaseduadua teaming up with Sivivatu in his Super 14 debut for the Chiefs on the right wing.

“Sos (Anesi) has been fighting his way through the early part of the season with heaps of injuries, but while he does offer us a lot there's great competition in our team among the wingers and we all have to work hard every week to get starting spots,” said Sivivatu.

“Vili looks really good, he's injury-free now and he's got a lot to offer.”

Coach Ian Foster said it had been a tough call selecting a replacement for Anesi, who is being rested this week with neck and foot injuries.

“It's possible that (Anesi) could have been right, but having Vili and Lelia (Masaga) there ready to go, it became a reasonably easy decision,” said the Chiefs coach.

“And I guess we're really determined to try and really learn the lessons we got last week and try and put similar guys out there, who can fix up some things we didn't get right.”

Brendon Leonard was the only other change to the team, coming in at halfback to replace Jamie Nutbrown, who is out for six to eight weeks with a knee injury.

Leonard was a late confirmation for the bench last week due to a heel injury and ended up playing over 60 minutes as a replacement.

Foster said the 5-2 split on the reserve bench had been both a chance to give both loose forwards Faifili Levave and Tom Harding game time, as well as a big emphasis this week on the pack committing to a high-tempo game.

“We really do want to make sure we get our attacking game going and we want no excuses in that area.”