All Blacks loose forward Wallace Sititi says they will approach the opening game of Rugby's Greatest Rivalry against the Stormers with a Test-match intensity on Friday evening.
The All Blacks are leaving nothing to chance as they prepare for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, with loose forward Wallace Sititi insisting every match against South Africa’s United Rugby Championship (URC) franchises will be approached with the same mindset and intensity as a Test.
New Zealand begin their four-match tour against the Stormers in Cape Town on Friday before taking on the Sharks and Bulls ahead of the opening Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park later this month.
While the midweek fixtures may not carry the weight and status of a Test match, Sititi says the squad have no intention of treating them as anything less than elite-level contests, starting with the inaugural URC winners at DHL Stadium on Friday (7pm kick-off).
“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,” the loose forward said on Monday.
