"Braveheart" Wallace Sititi says he is still processing his "crazy" rise this year from the fringes of the Waikato Chiefs to facing world champions South Africa with the All Blacks.
Sititi's goal when he began his debut season with the senior Chiefs team in February was simply to gain Super Rugby experience after his promotion from their development side.
Remarkably, however, he celebrated his 22nd birthday on September 7 by starting a Test match for the first time against the Springboks in Cape Town.
"I never would have thought in a million years that this would happen," he said at the All Blacks training base near Wellington this week. "I pinch myself all the time."
Although raised in Auckland, Sititi's father, former Samoa captain Semo Sititi, was playing club rugby in Scotland when he was born.
Semo named his son after his hero, the Scottish warrior William Wallace who helped defeat the English at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 and who was loosely portrayed by Mel Gibson in the 1995 movie "Braveheart".
"My parents thought that William was a bit too common, so they used Wallace," Sititi said.
He described his breakthrough season as "crazy".
Barnstorming runs and rugged defending saw Sititi nail down the number eight spot for the Chiefs, who reached the Super Rugby final in June only to lose to the Auckland Blues.
Sititi was watching on an iPad at home a few days later when his name was included in the New Zealand squad.
He impressed enough in training to make his debut off the bench when the All Blacks beat Fiji in San Diego and then had another brief cameo in the home defeat to Argentina.
Kolisi showdown
Sititi was a surprise choice to start his first Test in South Africa, alongside backrow veterans Ardie Savea and Sam Cane, when injury sidelined blindside flanker Ethan Blackadder.
"It was a shock, especially playing flanker. But you go back to your prep, train well and when you get the shirt, know you are borrowing it and make sure you leave it in a better place," he said.
Despite struggling to sleep the night before the Cape Town Test — he described it as a "bit of excitement, bit of nerves" — Sititi produced an eye-catching display in an 18-12 defeat.
"It was the biggest game of rugby I've ever played. The fans were amazing, the stadium was huge and it was fun," he said.
Sititi held his own against Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, one of his heroes.
They chatted after the final whistle but didn't swap shirts.
"He had promised his to one of the other boys, I should have gotten in first," Sititi said.
He played his fourth Test and made his second start in the thrilling 31-28 win over Australia last Saturday, when New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup in Sydney.
Sititi justified his selection with some thumping tackles and his support play was a menace to the Australian defence.
"He's come through pretty quickly with his ability to step up. He's a good kid and a good pro," All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson said.
New Zealand want to snap a five-match winless streak in Wellington, dating back to 2018, when they host Australia at Sky Stadium on Saturday.
"We're excited to go out there and put on a good performance in our last home game this season. We've got to put a bit of respect on the Wellington name," Sititi said.
The All Blacks team will be named on Thursday.
AFP