'Gutted' Sititi confident of All Blacks rebound
All Blacks player Wallace Sititi expresses confidence in the team's ability to rebound following consecutive losses to the Springboks. The team is focusing on improving their set-piece performance and discipline ahead of the final Test in Baltimore.
Why it matters
High-profile international rugby matches significantly impact team rankings and national sports morale.
Wallace Sititi says the All Blacks have no time to dwell on their back-to-back defeats to the Springboks as they prepare for the fourth and final Test in Baltimore on Saturday.
The All Blacks arrived in the United States on the back of consecutive losses in Cape Town and Johannesburg, with their early-season momentum having been replaced by mounting pressure.
Their task has been made tougher by injuries to captain Ardie Savea and openside flanker Luke Jacobson, but Sititi insists the All Blacks must embrace the responsibility of filling the void.
“We have been around long enough to know that when it’s time to step up, it’s your time to step up,” Sititi said. “We will make sure we hold each other accountable.”
Sititi impressed after replacing Savea in the third Test at FNB Stadium, making nine carries, two linebreaks and five tackles as the All Blacks lost 29-24.
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