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Wallace Sititi reflects on 'a lot of reality checks' in breakout season

Wallace Sititi of the New Zealand All Blacks an scrum coach Jason Ryan shake hands during warm up before the International Test Match between New Zealand All Blacks and England at Eden Park on July 13, 2024 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

The latest All Black debutant Wallace Sititi may have had a rapid rise to national honours, but it hasn’t been without tough love as he reflected following his debut.

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Sititi revealed some of the conversations he had with Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan that made his 2024 breakout season so successful, eventually resulting in an All Blacks debut at the age of just 21.

Coming into Super Rugby Pacific preseason, the explosive back-rower was told bluntly what it would take to succeed at the next level, and succeed he did, winning the starting No. 8 jersey for his club and pushing Chiefs captain and established All Black Luke Jacobson to the openside flank.

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The advice that led to this breakout season was simple.

“Clayton was being straight up with me and told me that I need to get fitter, I need to get stronger and I think it worked really well for me, especially in that preseason,” Sititi told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.

“Trying to get fitter and stronger, it just helps me with those repeated efforts in the game and I think it was evident.”

It’s not a case of simply doing more cardio work either, with the rigours of rugby throwing some more specific challenges the way of players.

“It’s being able to repeat your efforts, especially in the collision areas, there’s a different kind of fitness and it’s that contact fitness side of things. I think if you can master that you’re definitely giving yourself the best chance.

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“There’s a bit of skill to it, being able to get off the ground, being able to accelerate through your first few steps and if you can do that over and over again it’ll help you throughout the game.”

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It’s not the most glorious of training regimes, with burpees and plenty of laps of the field making up a tough training week. Sititi admits he doesn’t love the routine but throws himself into it as it’s got to be done.

The youngster also admits there have “definitely been a lot of reality checks for me, being able to get my fitness up and do those repeated efforts.

“Clayton is really straight up, especially with me, so when he comes up and taps your shoulder, you’ve really got to listen.”

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Now earning his second squad selection for rugby’s most iconic team, Sititi is finding his feet off the field as well as on it. He gave special thanks to his idol and mentor Ardie Savea who took the young gun under his wing in All Blacks camp.

Jerome Kaino and Ben Smith were also credited as key inspirations for their physicality and consistency.

“Going into that environment, obviously the new terminology, the new language, new playbook, so being able to learn on the run, pick up things fast is a skill that’ll help you a lot.

“Being able to work through your book, work through your notes. There’s a lot of bookwork, way more bookwork than people think.”

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus' Boks selection policy is becoming bizarre

To be fair, the only thing that drives engagement on this site is over the top critiques of Southern Hemisphere teams.


Or articles about people on podcasts criticizing southern hemisphere teams.


Articles regarding the Northern Hemisphere tend to be more positive than critical. I guess to also rile up kiwis and Saffers who seem to be the majority of followers in the comments section. There seems to be a whole department dedicated to Ireland’s world ranking news.


Despite being dialled into the Northern edition - I know sweet fokall about what’s going on in France.


And even less than fokall about what’s cutting in Japan - which has a fast growing, increasingly premium League competition emerging.


And let’s not talk about the pacific. Do they even play rugby Down there.


Oh and the Americas. I’ve read more articles about a young, stargazing Welshman’s foray into NFL than I have anything related to either the north and south continents of the Americas.


I will give credit that the women’s game is getting decent airtime. But for the rest and the above; it’s just pathetic coming from a World Rugby website.


Just consider the innovation emerging in Japan with the pedigree of coaches over there.


There’s so much good we could be reading.


Instead it’s unimaginative “critical for the sake of feigning controversial”. Which is lazy, because in order to pull that off all you need to be really good at is:


1. Being a doos;

2. Having an opinion.


No prior experience needed.


Which is not journalism. That’s like all or most of us in the comments section. People like Finn (who I believe is a RP contributor).


Anyway. Hopefully it will get better. The game is growing and the interest in the game is growing. Maybe it will attract more qualified journalists over time.

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