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How Wallace Sititi fared in All Blacks starting debut against Springboks

New Zealand's flanker Wallace Sititi (C) runs with the ball during the Rugby Championship Test match between South Africa and New Zealand at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town on September 7, 2024. (Photo by Rodger Bosch / AFP) (Photo by RODGER BOSCH/AFP via Getty Images)

For the first time in 15 years, the All Blacks have lost The Freedom Cup after falling to arch-rivals the Springboks 18-12. Coach Scott Robertson and captain Scott Barrett were both supremely disappointed when they fronted the press post-match, but there were some positives.

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Before the coach and captain walked into the room, there were a couple of conversations amongst reporters about New Zealand’s Wallace Sititi. Sititi celebrated his 22nd birthday with a strong individual performance at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium.

Earlier in the week, coach Robertson had revealed a bit of a selection surprise by naming the youngster at blindside flanker. Sititi had only started in that position twice before in his professional career, and both were with North Harbour in New Zealand’s NPC.

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Sititi was used as a No. 8 by the Chiefs in Super Rugby Pacific, and the loose forward emerged as one of the nation’s brightest rugby prospects. But the step up to Test level was always going to be tough, especially in away Test to the world champions in a new position.

Match Summary

2
Penalty Goals
4
2
Tries
0
1
Conversions
0
0
Drop Goals
0
122
Carries
121
6
Line Breaks
4
14
Turnovers Lost
16
4
Turnovers Won
10

Playing against a backrow of Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese, Sititi embraced the challenge on Saturday and ended up putting in a solid shift. With 16 carries for 30 metres, and 10 tackles in defence, there was a lot to like about Sititi’s first Test start.

“He can play, can’t he? I’m really pleased for him because he’s an exceptional young man. If you ever get to know him, he’s a lovely kid and gets on that field and he can turn it on,” coach Robertson told reporters after the six-point defeat.

“He’s got a great skill set. He’s mentally tough, he’s physically tough. It’s hard to believe he’s so young and performs like that.

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“We’re really pleased for (him), he took it.”

When Sititi was replaced in the 59th minute, the All Blacks had just reduced their deficit to a single point. Flyhalf Damian McKenzie converted a penalty which made things very interesting, with the scoreboard reading 13-12 in the Springboks’ favour.

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But, as it was pointed out to Robertson in Johannesburg last weekend, the All Blacks’ Achilles heel has been their inability to score points in the last 20 minutes in all of their Rugby Championship fixtures to date.

It was the same story in Cape Town with the All Blacks failing to add any points to their score – but that’s not to say they didn’t have chances. McKenzie had another couple of attempts at goal, including one inside the last 10 minutes, but they missed the mark.

South Africa had gone down to 14 men at one stage with Willie le Roux shown a yellow card, but the New Zealanders failed to capitalise. Instead, the Boks had the last laugh with dual Rugby World Cup-winning hooker Malcolm Marx scoring the final try in the 73rd minute.

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“There’s always positives in everything,” Robertson explained.

“The physicality, we created a lot. We’re one moment away and we would’ve been first up here to the press conference, that’s the margins for it.

“There’s so much good in there (but) Test matches are about finishing and finishing on top and finding a way to do it and that’s our next step is to find a way and win the line in front of us.

“That’s our focus. We’ve got to learn quick.”

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Comments

10 Comments
B
B.J. Spratt 206 days ago

We have some outstanding loose forwards in the NZ Under 20's. . .


Mosese Bason, Hurricanes, Johnny Lee, Crusaders, Tristyn Cook Blues, Jeremiah Avei- Collins Hurricanes, Logan Wallace, Manawatu and Tai Cribb , Waikato, Malachi,

Waikato.


They will be 23 next World Cup. Maybe it's time to "bring them into the environment"


Unless we embrace long term planning with our younger talent we will lose them to Rugby League or to the Northern Hemisphere.


The NRL is stable and growing at an alarming rate and its popularity is through the roof.


Mark Nawaganitawase's sensational start at the Roosters is a prime example to young Rugby Players.


The NRL are aware of the quality of the above mentioned young players.


Bason and Lee could walk into any top NRL side as could most of the others.


New Zealand Rugby is floundering. Players are not happy. The NZRFU is finished, at least as far as the "Professional Game" is concerned.


Yes it's affecting the All Blacks. We have to remember they are "The Game." not the NZRFU.


Silver Lakes knows the All Black Brand is worth nothing without the players.


And that will be "How the final decision is determined"

D
DP 207 days ago

Think I just found my new favourite All Black player... watch out Aardie!

0
007 208 days ago

Ardie should be shifted to the Openside to accommodate Sititi at No.8; with Blackadder at Blindside flank.

D
DP 207 days ago

Killer combo, Frizzel on the bench. Just to add Ardie and Sititi could alternate depending on the situation.

J
JK 208 days ago

disagree - Ardie's got rugby smarts for days - you want that at the 8. I think teaching Walter to be able to play another position is a good thing. Alseo Walter is bigger and I think defense is more important from the 6 than the 8

H
Hellhound 208 days ago

Yes and no. I'd say switch them up regularly. Make them hybrid players. They both need to be on at the same time or use one as an impact player. Like for like, same as the Boks do and that gives them an edge.

j
johnz 208 days ago

That would definitely make sense against SA. His running game was completely nullified against the big SA pack. Sititi found it relatively easy to make some inroads on offence.

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I
IkeaBoy 1 hour ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.”

Good lad, just checking. So you’re not a bot! Chelsea bombed the 2008 final more than United won it. John Terry… couldn’t happen to a nicer fella.


“The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made.”

So the difference between 2021 and 2023 would of course be TWO YEARS. 24 months would account for 3 different seasons. They contested ECL finals twice in two years. The first in 2021 - which they lost - was still the first elite European final in the clubs then 141 year history. Explain clearly how that’s not an achievement? Guess what age he was then…


“I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright.”

I thought you don’t care what certain managers did 10 years ago…

Why would I address Eddie Jones? Why would he be deserving of a single sentence?


“I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.”

So you haven’t watched even a minute of Super Rugby this year?


“lol u really need to chill out”

Simply frightful! If you’re not a bot you’re at least Gen-Z?

171 Go to comments
f
fl 2 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca”

Why are you so insistent on being wrong? Man United won in 2008 (beating Chelsea in the final). In 2009 Barcelona won, beating United.


“The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.”

Again - you’re not correct. City won the CL in 2023, and made the final in 2021. Those are the only two CL finals they have made. With Barcelona, Pep made the semi final four consecutive times - with City he’s managed only 3 in 8 years. This year they didn’t even make the round of 16.


To re-cap, you wrote that Pep “has gotten better with age. By every measure.” There are some measures that support what you’re saying, but the vast majority of the measures that you have highlighted actually show the opposite.


I am aware Les Kiss has achieved great things in his career, but I don’t care what he did over ten years ago. Rugby was a different sport back then.


I think your take on Gatland is pretty silly. Gatland was without Edwards in the 2013 and 2017 Lions tours and managed to do alright. You’ve also not addressed Eddie Jones.


I agree wrt Schmidt. He would ideally be retained, but it wouldn’t work to have a remote head coach. He should definitely be hired as a consultant/analyst/selector though.


“Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.”

lol u really need to chill out lad. Kiss and Schmidt would both be great members of the coaching set up in 2025, but it would be ridiculous to bank on either to retain the head coach role until 2031.

171 Go to comments
I
IkeaBoy 3 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

Pep didn’t win the ECL in 2009. It was 2008 with Barca. The gap between wins ignores the finals contested. 2 in 2 years with his City Triumph. The most recent put him in the elite company of managers to have won it with multiple clubs. Yet more late career success and history.


His time with City - a lower win ratio compared to Bayern Munich as you say - includes a 100 PT season. A feat that will likely never be surpassed. I appreciate you don’t follow soccer too closely but even casual fans refer to the sport in ‘pre and post Pep’ terms and all because of what he has achieved and is continuing to achieve, late career. There is a reason that even U10’s play out from the back now at every level of the game. That’s also a fairly recent development.


How refreshing to return to rugby on a rugby forum.


Ireland won a long over due slam in 2009. The last embers of a golden generation was kicked on by a handful of young new players and a new senior coach. Kiss was brought in as defence coach and was the reason they won it. They’d the best defence in the game at the time. He all but invented the choke tackle. Fittingly they backed it up in the next world cup in their 2011 pool match against… Australia. The instantly iconic image of Will Genia getting rag-dolled by Stephen Ferris.


His career since has even included director of rugby positions. He would have an extremely good idea of where the game is at and where it is going in addition to governance experience and dealings. Not least in Oz were many of the players will have come via or across Rugby League pathways.


Gatland isn’t a valid coach to compare too. He only ever over-achieved and was barely schools level without Shaun Edwards at club or test level. His return to Wales simply exposed his limitations and a chaotic union. It wasn’t age.


Schmidt is open to staying involved in a remote capacity which I think deserves more attention. It would be a brain drain to lose him. He stepped in to coach the ABs in the first 2022 test against Ireland when Foster was laid out with Covid. They mullered Ireland 42-19. He was still heavily involved in the RWC 2023 quarter final. Same story.


Look at the talent that would be discarded in Schmidt and Kiss if your age Nazism was applied.

171 Go to comments
f
fl 4 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“He won a ECL and a domestic treble at the beginning of his career.”

He won 2 ECLs at the beginning of his career (2009, 2011). Since then he’s won 1 in 15 years.


“He then won 3 leagues on the bounce later in his career”

He won 3 leagues on the bounce at the start of his career too - (2009, 2010, 2011).


If we’re judging him by champions league wins, he peaked in his late 30s, early 40s. If we’re judging him by domestic titles he’s stayed pretty consistent over his career. If we’re judging him by overall win rate he peaked at Bayern, and was better at Barcelona than at City. So no, he hasn’t gotten better by every measure.


“You mentioned coaches were older around the mid-2010’s compared to the mid-2000’s. Robson was well above the average age you’ve given for those periods even in the 90’s when in his pomp.”

Robson was 63-64 when he was at Barcelona, so he wasn’t very old. But yeah, he was slightly above the average age of 60 I gave for the top 4 premier league coaches in 2015, and quite a bit above the averages for 2005 and 2025.


“Also, comparing coaches - and their experiences, achievements - at different ages is unstable. It’s not a valid way to compare and tends to torpedo your own logic when you do compare them on equal terms. I can see why you don’t like doing it.”

Well my logic certainly hasn’t been torpedoed. Currently the most successful premier league coaches right now are younger than they were ten years ago. You can throw all the nuance at it that you want, but that fact won’t change. It’s not even clear what comparing managers “on equal terms” would even mean, or why it would be relevant to anything I’ve said.


“You still haven’t answered why Kiss could be a risker appointment?”

Because I’ve been talking to you about football managers. If you want to change the subject then great - I care a lot more about rugby than I do football.

But wrt Kiss, I don’t agree that 25 years experience is actually that useful, given what a different sport rugby was 25 years ago. Obviously in theory more experience can never be a bad thing, but I think 10 years of coaching experience is actually more than enough these days. Erasmus had been a coach for 13 years when he got the SA top job. Andy Farrell had been a coach for 9 when he got the Ireland job. I don’t think anyone would say that either of them were lacking in experience.


Now - what about coaches who do have 25+ years experience? The clearest example of that would be Eddie Jones, who started coaching 31 years ago. He did pretty well everywhere he worked until around 2021 (when he was 61), when results with England hit a sharp decline. He similarly oversaw a terrible run with Australia, and currently isn’t doing a great job with Japan.

Another example is Warren Gatland, who also started coaching full-time 31 years ago, after 5 years as a player-coach. Gatland did pretty well everywhere he went until 2020 (when he was 56), when he did a relatively poor job with the Chiefs, before doing a pretty poor job with the Lions, and then overseeing a genuine disaster with Wales. There are very few other examples, as most coaches retire or step back into lesser roles when they enter their 60s. Mick Byrne actually has 34 years experience in coaching (but only 23 years coaching in rugby) and at 66 he’s the oldest coach of a top 10 side, and he’s actually doing really well. He goes to show that you can continue to be a good coach well into your 60s, but he seems like an outlier.


So the point is - right now, Les Kiss looks like a pretty reliable option, but 5 years ago so did Eddie Jones and Warren Gatland before they went on to prove that coaches often decline as they get older. If Australia want Kiss as a short term appointment to take over after Schmidt leaves in the summer, I don’t think that would be a terrible idea - but NB wanted Kiss as a long term appointment starting in 2027! That’s a massive risk, given the chance that his aptitude will begin to decline.


Its kind of analagous to how players decline. We know (for example) that a fly-half can still be world class at 38, but we also know that most fly-halves peak in their mid-to-late 20s, so it is generally considered a risk to build your game plan around someone much older than that.

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