Chiefs rookie Wallace Sititi announces himself on Super Rugby stage

Sunday, 16 June 2024

Wallace Sititi starred as the Chiefs upstaged the Hurricanes 30-19 to win through to the Super Rugby Pacific final.

The 21-year-old had a hand in two of the Chiefs’ three tries.

The Chiefs have advanced to next Saturday’s final against the Blues.

A new star was born at Sky Stadium on Saturday night as the Chiefs stunned the Hurricanes to reach another Super Rugby Pacific final on the back of a breakout performance from No. 8 Wallace Sititi.

Chiefs No. 8 Wallace Sititi crashes through the Hurricanes’ defence during Saturday’s semifinal.

The 21-year-old delivered a man of the match performance on the biggest night of his career, making a game-high 15 carries for 150 metres, 13 tackles and two interceptions to power the Chiefs to an upset 30-19 win over the team his dad Semo Sititi once played for.

There were plenty of stars on show in the all-New Zealand semifinal but it was young Sititi who shone the brightest.

After setting up halfback Cortez Ratima for an early try as the Chiefs jumped out to a 14-0 lead after just six minutes, the former Blues under-20 captain then sealed the win when he intercepted a pass from Hurricanes first-five Brett Cameron and sprinted 60 metres.

Sititi was brought down with the try line at his mercy but the rookie had carved out enough metres that Daniel Rona scored in the left corner from the very next phase to push the Chiefs back out to a two-try lead.

Wallace Sititi on the charge during the semifinal.

Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan sung Sititi’s praises after qualifying for their second straight final, and hoped the All Blacks selectors had taken notice too.

While Blues top try scorer Hoskins Sotutu and Hurricanes counterpart Brayden Iose have hogged most of the headlines this season, McMillan believed his young No. 8 also deserved to be in the conversion for Scott Robertson’s first All Blacks squad of 2024.

“I thought he was immense,” McMillan said. “He had a number of involvements in big plays. He’s got a massive future.

“There were a lot of good rugby players running out there today and it was talked about in the media that this was like an All Blacks trial of sorts, well if it was then a number of our guys would be putting their names in pencil if not ink.

“You’d have to think he’s as good a chance as anybody. He’s been pretty consistent with his performances.

“He’s young and still got a lot to learn but some people just have something about them that catches the eye and he’s one of them.”

After outshining Iose, Sititi will now go head to head with Super Rugby’s form No. 8 Sotutu in next weekend’s decider at Eden Park.

Sititi was part of the Blues system as a teenager but he was lured south to the Chiefs this season after struggling for opportunities at Super Rugby level.