Repentant Tipoki hopes to bury his reputation

Rua Tipoki

Rua Tipoki swaps the playground for the rugby field this Saturday, when the longest suspension handed down in New Zealand rugby finally ends.

The North Harbour captain's 16-week ban expires this weekend, enabling him to slot straight back into the team to play his old province, Bay of Plenty, at Mount Maunganui in the third round of the Air New Zealand Cup.

It is a comeback sure to be keenly watched by cynical spectators, the referee, and the kids at his sons' school, Westmere Primary.

And hopefully, for Tipoki's sake, he won't be coming to the attention of the New Zealand Rugby Union judiciary some time next week.

The New Zealand Maori and Blues representative is aware he will be under scrutiny as all and sundry gauge whether he really has reformed since his swinging forearm fractured the eye socket of Western Force five-eighth James Hilgendorf during the Super 14 in April.

For Tipoki, the controversy was not an isolated incident.

Last year he was banned for three weeks after striking Stormers and Springbok back Jean de Villiers -- opening a gash that required 21 stitches and resulted in permanent facial scarring.

Earlier in his decade-long first class career, Tipoki served bans for a reckless tackle (v Canterbury in the 2000 NPC), he was also dropped by the Blues in 2001 after being sinbinned for abusive language when playing the Brumbies.

Later that year, he broke both hands punching an opponent during an unsanctioned festival match in Opotiki, but claimed he was hurt by a freak gym accident.

So has the 30-year-old finally learnt his lesson?

Through his rehabilitation Tipoki has had sessions with a sports psychologist in a bid to remove a fiery temper from his game day make-up.

"I've seen someone about the mental side of things, just so it doesn't happen again," he told NZPA.

"I'm still going to play the same -- but without those indiscretions."

The assistance was organised by the New Zealand Rugby Union and came at a time when he was reassessing his future with the code in New Zealand.

"I buried my head in the sound for a long time. I didn't watch a lot of rugby. I tried to switch off," he said of the early stages of his exile.

Tipoki avoided Blues and North Harbour training as he did not want to be seen "moping around".

Instead he spent time with his sons Naera, 8, and Manahi, 6, supervising and, after some cajoling, participating in lunchtime touch footy games at their Auckland primary school.

"I was there (yesterday) to see them and ended up in a full-on game of touch.

"That makes you feel good about yourself. That's something that hits home -- a lot of the kids have been asking when I'm going to be playing again."

Tipoki only got enthused about real rugby again when, with two months to run on his suspension, he visualised "light at the end of the tunnel".

He has been in fulltime training with Harbour since and has already taken some good natured ribbing about the visit to the Mount considering wins have been secured over Tasman and Taranaki without him.

"They've let me know it too," he said before a final training session.

"They'll be looking sideways if we drop this one."

Rugby fans will also be looking sideways if Tipoki cannot rein in his aggression though he is focusing instead on the opinions of those within the Harbour union.

"People have already made up their minds about you, you can't change that. For me, I want to prove (he has changed) to myself, the coach and my teammates."

Harbour coach Allan Pollock needed no convincing and remains an unabashed admirer of his nuggety midfield general.

"Rua's adds to the backline as an organiser and communicator .... his value cannot be underestimated," he said.

"It's no coincidence the wheels fell off the Blues campaign when Rua was gone. It looked like the Blues had their act together when they had Rua as a permanent fixture."

Pollock, who had no hesitation in retaining Tipoki as his captain, was equally confident he had addressed his disciplinary shortcomings.

"I have no doubt he'll conduct himself in a thoroughly professional manner," before adding ominously: "He knows he doesn't have a choice."

* Bay of Plenty vs North Harbour, Mt Maunganui, 7.35pm Saturday

- NZPA