BRAVEHEART: WALLACE SITITI READY FOR ACTION IN THE BLEDISLOE CUP
Braveheart: The young star getting ready for the Bledisloe Cup
Wallabies v All Blacks
Kick-off: 5:45pm Saturday 21 September (NZT)
Accor Stadium, Sydney
Live updates on RNZ Sport
The scene in the post-match media room at DHL Stadium said a great deal about the sudden rise of Wallace Sititi. Despite the All Blacks going down 18-12 to the world champion Springboks, Sititi had played a blinder and the South African media suddenly wanted to know everything about him.
That's fair enough too, given that unless they'd been getting up early to watch Super Rugby Pacific, they wouldn't have ever seen the blockbusting 22-year-old in action. Sititi's meteoric rise from being a Blues development squad member in January, to a Chiefs start in March, to an All Black call up in June is now common knowledge - but his backstory is a unique one too.
First off, had it not been for a twist of fate at birth, he would be eligible to play for Scotland.
"When my mum was pregnant with myself, we were based in Scotland. My dad was lucky enough to play there, but when I was due my mum's old man fell sick so she flew back to Samoa to look after him. My dad had to stay in Scotland because they were playing a big semi that weekend. So when I was born my dad wasn't present."
Wallace's father is the legendary Manu Samoa loose forward Semo Sititi, who played 59 times for his country and was at the Borders club in Scotland when Wallace was born. Semo's admiration for a famous local hero was what inspired the naming of his son, who spent his first couple of years in Galashiels near the border with England.
"My dad named me after William Wallace, the Scottish warrior. (My parents) thought that William was a bit too common, so they used Wallace as a first name. I guess I've got to do my name justice."
The story of Sir William Wallace was famously told in the movie Braveheart, in which he was portrayed by Mel Gibson. While the movie has been roundly criticised for not prioritising historical accuracy, Sititi is a fan and watched it when the team arrived in Sydney.
Semo Sititi played in three World Cups as part of a very good era for Manu Samoa, a legacy that has inspired Wallace.
"We're definitely riding this journey together. He throws in advice here and there, being a father that's been there and done that. But he tries his best to stand back and let the coaches do their thing…he's been really supportive."
Sititi has been named once again to start at blindside this weekend, in the first Bledisloe Cup test of the season. Being in sunny Sydney has provided a much-needed change of pace for the All Blacks, after a hyper-intense fortnight in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
"Obviously it's been a couple of full on weeks in South Africa," he said.
"A lot going on, but when it comes down to it you got do what you gotta get done. Obviously there's a bit of disappointment after two losses, but it's a definitely a focus to put in a quality performance."
There were some serious question marks over Sititi's initial starting selection in the last test, because he hadn't played blindside at all this season for the Chiefs. There was some talk of him shifting to number eight this weekend and Ardie Savea moving to openside, but Ethan Blackadder's injury has seen coach Scott Robertson retain Sititi at blindside.
Not that Sititi is fussed at all.
"Look I don't mind it, wherever the coaches put me I'm happy to do that role justice," he said.
For his part, Savea said that Sititi had been "inspiring" as he navigated his fresh All Black career.
"We can perceive him as a young fella but he's come into this team with so much calmness, even wisdom. He's inspiring me in the way he walks and the way he plays."
Those words left Sititi "blown away", but he's simply focusing on being a part of an All Black effort this weekend that needs to make a real statement against the Wallabies.
"My goal was to play one game for the Chiefs this year and I would've been happy with that," he said.
"So to be able to play the amount of games I did and have the season I had…now I'm moving into spaces I'm proud of."
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