ITM Cup: Woodward disappointed by losses and suspension

Jason Woodward, right, returned from Melbourne to play for Wellington. Photo / Getty Images

This wasn't the homecoming that Jason Woodward envisaged.

The former Melbourne Rebels outside back returned to Wellington this year with the idea of having a solid ITM Cup with the Lions before linking with the Hurricanes in next year's edition of Super Rugby.

The Upper Hutt product left for Melbourne at the end of 2012 after his opportunities seemed limited with any of the Kiwi franchises, despite showing promise at provincial level.

He showed off his prolific boot in the Victorian capital as he racked up the points for a struggling Rebels side and earned a two-year deal with the Hurricanes as he came back to New Zealand with eyes on an All Black jersey.

But Wellington have started the ITM Cup with six losses and the 24-year-old was forced to sit out last night's 42-20 defeat to Tasman due to a one-match suspension he copped for striking Canterbury wing Patrick Osborne in round five.

"It has been tough," Woodward said. "I've said it all along, we do have the guys here. We've got an excellent coaching staff, we've got good players. We've had a few injuries but the guys that are coming through, they are bloody good rugby players; it just hasn't really clicked yet for us."

On his suspension, Woodward said he wanted to share his side of the story after video footage emerged online of him punching Osborne.

That didn't show the previous ruck where the scuffle began, Woodward said. The longer version of the footage was shown at the judicial hearing.

"It's been a bit disappointing reading some of the things that have been coming out lately," Woodward said. "All I really want to say on the matter was that I guess if I went in to a ruck and got someone in a choke hold and started wrenching on their neck and smacked them in the face, I'd expect a couple of punches too.

"It's quite funny hearing quite a few people from Canterbury having a moan when it was their guy putting the stick in in the first place.

"I did what I did and I've copped a punishment and I'm taking it on the chin."

When Woodward does return, he will continue his push to prove to incoming Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd, who also leads the Lions, that he should be the side's starting fullback when the Hurricanes begin their Super Rugby campaign against the South African Lions in Johannesburg in February.

Meanwhile, Australian test crowds were in the news last week, following low turnouts for Wallabies games against South Africa and Argentina recently.

Those tests were in Perth and the Gold Coast respectively and Woodward said rugby remained popular in Sydney and Brisbane, although AFL-mad Melbourne had varying levels of support for the Rebels.