Wallace Sititi has fitness revelation in Rennie's new All Blacks playbook

The All Blacks got their first taste of Test match rugby in Dave Rennie’s new game plan against France, and the speed of play made a strong impression on Wallace Sititi.

The 23-year-old played 27 minutes off the bench in New Zealand’s two-point win, and despite being one of the more dynamic young flankers in the game, hinted his lungs were burning under the roof in Christchurch.

Once on the field, Sititi produced the second-highest usage rate among ball carriers in the game and came away from the match with a message that echoed what Rennie was said to have been telling the established All Blacks during the Super Rugby Pacific season.

“I’ve definitely got to get fitter, that’s for sure,” Sititi reflected with a grin. “You would’ve seen last week that we like to play with a bit of speed and optimism. With that, you need to be at a certain fitness level, at a certain skill level as well.

“I’m definitely trying to get used to the speed and tempo. I’m enjoying it, that’s for sure.”

While the performance was far from seamless, the All Blacks proved themselves capable of wresting momentum back in their favour with the ball in hand. Sititi said that keeping the match free-flowing and fast was a “big focus” of the team ahead of the weekend’s Italy Test.

“Both on attack and defence, if we can control the speed, it’ll help us a lot in our game,” he said.

Comments from the All Blacks camp paint a positive picture of how the team has come together and bought into not just the game plan but also the new leadership and culture, and Sititi had plenty of praise for the group’s leaders, adding to that positivity.

“I think we know how good Rens is as a coach and also Ardie as a skipper. The culture starts up there, and they’ve done a great job. A lot of other boys as well, the whole leadership group, have bought into it and led that as well. The boys here are just trying to follow their lead, and hopefully we can build something special.”

Savea is one of the five loose forwards Sititi is competing with for minutes in one of the team’s most hotly contested positions. Sititi had an ‘iron sharpens iron’ attitude towards the selection contest.

“We’ve got some top-calibre players here, not just in this team but also in this country. There’s a lot of competition going on; healthy competition. It helps us; we’re a tight group, we push each other, and hopefully we can bring the best out of each other.”

Having fulfilled an impact role in half of his Tests since his breakthrough rookie season, Sititi says he’s just happy to be contributing regardless of where he’s picked in the matchday 23.

“You know me, I’ll play wing if they want me to play wing. I’m happy to be out there whenever they need me.”