Rugby: Lauaki still harbours his World Cup regrets

Explosive back rower Sione Lauaki says playing in France has matured him. Photo / Getty Images

Sione Lauaki this week joined the Australasian rugby camp being kitted out at Bayonne on France's Basque coast but made a frank admission: "There are still little regrets in my mind about leaving New Zealand too soon."

Lauaki, the Tongan-born player who won 17 caps for the All Blacks from 2005 to 2008, was moved on from Vern Cotter's ASM Clermont Auvergne this week into the grateful arms of Bayonne, who have also recruited All Blacks and Hurricanes prop Neemia Tialata and the Brumbies' Mark Chisholm.

The big loose forward is still bothered by the manner of his exit from New Zealand rugby.

"Regrets? I guess I didn't have to leave New Zealand. But with my off-the-field stuff, I wanted mentally to break away. But sometimes I do look back and think, I could have stayed and perhaps had another crack at the World Cup. But I guess I've moved on now."

Who does Lauaki blame for what he calls his "off-the-field" troubles? Only himself. "I was definitely to blame for those problems. There's no one else to blame but myself. It was a case of probably not being professional about what I was doing.

"I had been in that environment for seven or eight years but there were no excuses."

However, he insists that the change of environment and new challenge of life in France has helped him grow up. "I've learned a lot being away and being able to look back.

"There are little regrets about maybe leaving too soon.

"But that's life and you've got to live with it. I certainly can't blame others for what happened.

"I chose to leave and, to be fair, coming here has mentally freshened me. It's good to be away from home. I've grown as a person so that's good. I definitely have matured and have enjoyed my time here. It's a good team and a good town."

It's fair to say that Lauaki probably would never have left ASM Clermont Auvergne if Cotter had been in raptures about the form of the former Chiefs back rower. But Lauaki's play has been too erratic, too unpredictable this season, a fact the player concedes himself.

"My form this season has definitely been up and down. But it hasn't been easy. Sometimes I've started a few games, then got injuries, then you're back on the bench and you have to build up again. So that's very difficult."

One of the problems has been Lauaki's individual style of play. For example, in last Friday night's French Championship quarter-final against Biarritz, one trademark Lauaki power break saw him smash through a tackle and race to the Biarritz 22. With support outside him, Lauaki had a three-on-one overlap. Alas, he blew it by taking the tackle and the chance was lost.

So the player has been moved on from Clermont, the reigning French champions who will contest a semifinal against Toulouse on Saturday week in Marseille.

You have to conclude that Clermont, who Sitiveni Sivivatu will join after the World Cup, were not impressed with Lauaki.

Even so, Lauaki insists he has grown up in his first season away from home. "Definitely. I've learned a lot from this season and have tried to maintain my progress. It's been a whole new experience for me because it's such a long season here.

"You try to peak at the right time but that's hard because it goes on so long. So many guys are carrying injuries because at the end of the league season, you have three weekends of playoffs with quarter-finals, semis and the final.

"So you have to push through the pain barrier and keep going.

He admits that watching the World Cup from afar this September/October won't necessarily be the easiest thing in the world for him. Too many memories, too many what ifs ...

"I guess not being involved will be hard. I do sit back and think about it. But life moves on. I always watch out for the Chiefs to see how they're doing. Slow starting, as always. But hopefully they'll come right."

As for the intensity of French Championship rugby, he's in no doubt on that score.

"It's pretty physical, week in and week out. The three weekends of the playoffs just goes to show how hard the competition is here. Towards the end, you've got to be mentally tough to get through it all.

"I would rate our quarter-final against Biarritz last weekend as right up there with the intensity levels of Super 15. It was really intense stuff. But I do miss Super 15 rugby? Yes. It's one of the best competitions going on so I definitely miss it."