"We treat them like Test matches" — Wallace Sititi promises no let-up from the All Blacks as they kick off their South African tour against the Stormers in Cape Town this weekend. | AFP
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 before taking on the Sharks and Bulls ahead of the opening Test against the Springboks at Ellis Park later this month. They then face the Lions on the Tuesday thereafter.
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,” Sititi said yesterday.
