New Zealand’s All Blacks are one of the iconic franchises in all of sports. Think the New York Yankees. Dallas Cowboys. Manchester United. Los Angeles Lakers.
The three-time Rugby World Cup champions will set foot in San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium on Friday night for “test match” against Fiji, and they want to put on a show. The action starts at 7:30 p.m.
“We respect Fiji immensely,” All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said. “If you watched the World Cup, you saw they are world class. They get up for the All Blacks and any nation that takes rugby seriously. We have to be ready to play our best match.”
The All Blacks, who lost to France in the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final, will roll out a new-look lineup Friday night as it prepares for its upcoming season, which gets serious Aug. 10 against Australia. The next World Cup is still three years away, which means the All Blacks are developing a roster with a mix of veterans and young talented prospects.
The All Blacks, currently ranked third in the world rankings behind South Africa and Ireland, warmed up with 16-15 and 24-17 wins over a strong England team.
Friday, the club will start six young standouts — center Billy Proctor, hooker George Bell, prop Pasilio Tosi, hook Sam Darry, loose forward Wallace Sititi and halfback Noah Hotham.
Robertson is excited about the young crew, especially the 21-year old Sititi. The quick, agile, barrel-chested athlete looks like a fullback in American football.
“Wallace is perfect,” Robertson said. “He will bring the impact and cover all three loose forward positions. You can see his performance in Super Rugby. He’s a great defender and trained incredibly well. His fundamental skills are incredibly good…He’s definitely earned the opportunity.”
Sititi is a player to keep an eye on Friday night. His lifelong dream of being an All Black is coming true.
The “Flying Fijians” are ranked 10th in the world, just below Australia, and are coming off a 21-12 win over Georgia.
The team “has real quality,” said Proctor. “They play fast and attack you in ways other sides do not. We certainly have to be ready. It’s going to be a fun match.”
As a squad, the All Blacks know they are expected to perform to the club’s lofty standard.
“They’ve turned up to watch the all blacks perform at their highest level, “ Robertson said. “That’s our focus. When you wear that uniform, greatest is expected.”
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