Wallace Sititi: Beleaguered All Blacks must ‘step up’

While not hiding the hurt from the weekend’s defeat to the Springboks in Soweto, All Blacks loose forward Wallace Sititi said the team had to “step up” despite some personnel changes in their fourth Test in Baltimore on Saturday.

The teams meet after the Springboks bounced back from defeat at Ellis Park to beat the All Blacks in Cape Town and at FNB Stadium.

The Boks lead the series 2-1, but the All Blacks can still play for a draw at the M&T Bank Stadium (kick-off 11.10pm SAST).

Head coach Dave Rennie is set to ring the changes after injuries to loose forward Ardie Savea (dislocated shoulder), centre Quinn Tupaea (knee – MCL) and Luke Jacobson (elbow tendon) saw him name a 36-man squad for the United States game.

Sititi, who came on for Savea after the regular captain had scored two tries in the first half hour, said he was “gutted” after the defeat.

The game was close, but the Springboks edged ahead after winning a number of scrum penalties, were awarded a penalty try from a scrum, and drove a maul under the All Blacks’ posts for one of their tries.

All Blacks must improve discipline

The All Blacks conceded 12 penalties, something Rennie rued after the game. These included a Ruben Love yellow card for a cynical offside, and the penalty try from collapsing a scrum.

Referee Nika Amashukeli was sterner on these infringements than Andrew Gardner had been the week before.

“Anywhere you give away penalties it’s always an issue. Not just the breakdown,” said Sititi.

“I guess we are just giving them easy entry into our 22m and they are capitalising on it a bit better than we are.”

The World Rugby 2024 Breakthrough Player of the Year said they are addressing this problem.

“We have been around long enough to know that when it’s time to step up, it’s your time to step up. We will make sure we hold each other accountable.”