The All Blacks kick off their Rugby's Greatest Rivalry campaign with matches against the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls over the next week.
All Blacks loose forward Wallace Sititi is tackled by Italy’s Paolo Garbisi during their Nations Championship match at Hnry Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Nations Championship via Getty Images
The All Blacks are preparing for a big physical forward battle when they open their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) tour with a match against the Stormers at the Cape Town Stadium on Friday night.
Loose forward Wallace Sititi, back in the All Blacks mix after missing out on their final Nations Championship game against Ireland in July, is excited to get back down to business and eager to front up against the South African franchises.
The All Blacks will be looking to lay down a marker with a good win over the Stormers, before taking on the Sharks next Tuesday, followed by the Bulls on Saturday, and then the first of four Tests against the Springboks at Ellis Park on 22 August.
But to do that they will need to gain the upper hand in the set piece battle, according to Sititi, which will give them the freedom to play their game.
“They’re a big pack, that is what we know. But they are a big forward pack that loves to run the ball and loves the collision battle, so we’ve got to respect them up front,” explained Sititi.
“They (Stormers backline) love to use the ball as well, so we’ve got to be able to match them up front. We want to give our backs out wide all the opportunities they want.”
Prove their worth
Although the All Blacks aren’t expected to name their strongest team for their tour games against the SA franchises, Sititi is well aware that they are chances for some of the players not expected to make the Test match 23 to prove their worth.
“Those midweek games against the franchises, we treat them like they’re Test matches, and we know the quality of the teams, so we’ll prepare accordingly,” said Sititi.
Although Sititi has yet to play against an SA franchise, due to the South African teams pulling out of Super Rugby after Covid, he has heard plenty about it from some of his older teammates.
“When I played my first year of Super Rugby, South African teams were no longer in the competition,” said Sititi.
“I wouldn’t know what it is like to play against the SA teams, but at the same time, I would love to know (by experiencing it).
“A lot of the boys talk about the tours coming out here, and how they really enjoyed it. And also, we know how good South African footy is.
“So, would playing them in Super Rugby make us better rugby players? Yeah, 100%, it’s quality opposition. However, like I said, I wouldn’t know what it’s like.”
