Wallace Sititi reflects on 'a lot of reality checks' in breakout season

The latest All Black debutant Wallace Sititi may have had a rapid rise to national honours, but it hasn't been without tough love as he reflected following his debut.

Sititi revealed some of the conversations he had with Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan that made his 2024 breakout season so successful, eventually resulting in an All Blacks debut at the age of just 21.

Coming into Super Rugby Pacific preseason, the explosive back-rower was told bluntly what it would take to succeed at the next level, and succeed he did, winning the starting No. 8 jersey for his club and pushing Chiefs captain and established All Black Luke Jacobson to the openside flank.

The advice that led to this breakout season was simple.

"Clayton was being straight up with me and told me that I need to get fitter, I need to get stronger and I think it worked really well for me, especially in that preseason," Sititi told the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.

"Trying to get fitter and stronger, it just helps me with those repeated efforts in the game and I think it was evident."

It's not a case of simply doing more cardio work either, with the rigours of rugby throwing some more specific challenges the way of players.

"It's being able to repeat your efforts, especially in the collision areas, there's a different kind of fitness and it's that contact fitness side of things. I think if you can master that you're definitely giving yourself the best chance.

"There's a bit of skill to it, being able to get off the ground, being able to accelerate through your first few steps and if you can do that over and over again it'll help you throughout the game."

It's not the most glorious of training regimes, with burpees and plenty of laps of the field making up a tough training week. Sititi admits he doesn't love the routine but throws himself into it as it's got to be done.

The youngster also admits there have "definitely been a lot of reality checks for me, being able to get my fitness up and do those repeated efforts.

"Clayton is really straight up, especially with me, so when he comes up and taps your shoulder, you've really got to listen."

Now earning his second squad selection for rugby's most iconic team, Sititi is finding his feet off the field as well as on it. He gave special thanks to his idol and mentor Ardie Savea who took the young gun under his wing in All Blacks camp.

Jerome Kaino and Ben Smith were also credited as key inspirations for their physicality and consistency.

"Going into that environment, obviously the new terminology, the new language, new playbook, so being able to learn on the run, pick up things fast is a skill that'll help you a lot.

"Being able to work through your book, work through your notes. There's a lot of bookwork, way more bookwork than people think."