All Blacks Number Eight Wallace Sititi conveyed that experiencing defeat on the field in Wellington on the past Saturday night invoked a “challenging sentiment”. This feeling stood in stark contrast to the optimistic atmosphere prevailing within their team as they retreated to the changing rooms during the game’s midpoint.
Having completed the initial 40 minutes at Sky Stadium, the home squad maintained a narrow three-point advantage and exuded a sense of assurance, according to Sititi. The recipient of the 2024 Breakthrough Player of the Year award shared his reflections with journalists following the match, offering valuable understanding into the discourse that unfolded within the team’s quarters during the intermission of the Test.
Up to that juncture, the All Blacks had only commanded possession of the playing area for approximately 29 per cent of the time, encountering considerable difficulties in clearing the ball from their own territory. Yet, paradoxically, given such restricted opportunities, they were, in fact, the team successfully accruing the most points in the early stages.
“We felt truly positive,” Sititi commenced. “Although our possession was limited, we believed we effectively exploited the opportunities we did have. Whenever we maintained control of the ball, we felt like we presented a substantial threat. Our focus was on making a strong start; unfortunately, that didn’t transpire tonight. Nevertheless, full appreciation to the Springboks.”
A significant factor contributing to the All Blacks’ setback was a disjointed execution during lineout sequences. The home side only secured victory in around 69 per cent of their own lineouts, resulting from 13 attempts. Despite demonstrating instances of skillful disruption during their defensive lineout efforts, Sititi indicated that his team would revisit their strategies and analysis to address the inaccuracies they exhibited.
“In all honesty, our performance as a cohesive unit, particularly as a forward pack, was not up to par. We will meticulously examine the game footage to pinpoint areas for improvement, acknowledging that our execution likely fell short of expectations. We collectively accept responsibility for this as a team. We will engage in thorough analysis and consistently strive to enhance our performance.”
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The defeat occurred a week subsequent to New Zealand’s triumph over South Africa in Auckland, marking an extraordinary reversal within such a brief timeframe.
The All Blacks failed to complete 46 tackles during the rematch, exceeding double the number they missed in the previous week, despite attempting 30 fewer. Sititi again expressed respect for their opponents and recognized his team’s imperative to elevate their performance following the previous week’s victory, a requirement that regrettably remained unfulfilled in Wellington.
“Great respect to the Springboks; we anticipated a strong response from them, particularly following last week’s game. We simply didn’t react as effectively as we needed to, and we ultimately suffered the consequences.”
On the Sunday succeeding the preceding Saturday’s win in Auckland, All Blacks forwards coach Jason Ryan addressed the media at the airport and was asked whether he was bracing for a counterattack from the Springboks. His answer was, “I’m anticipating a response from within our own team”.
The coach maintained a similar outlook later in the week when conversing with the radio station Sport Nation, emphasising the vital nature of recuperation following such an emotionally taxing win. All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson commented following the Wellington loss that he couldn’t attribute the outcome to any deficiency in mindset, given that he hadn’t detected any such shortcomings throughout the week’s preparation.
Sititi, however, reiterated the sentiment that his team didn’t elevate their game to the necessary degree.
“Every defeat while wearing the All Blacks jersey is disheartening; this particular one will undoubtedly rank highly among the most memorable. As I mentioned, immense respect to Rassie and his team; they executed their game plan exceptionally well tonight, and we simply didn’t respond as effectively as we would have liked.”
