North Harbour stand by their banned man

Rua Tipoki's form against the Stormers was seen as another step on his return to the top. Picture / Fotopress

North Harbour are not about to abandon Rua Tipoki after his Super 12 suspension but the midfielder will be working under some serious sanctions in the NPC.

That warning came yesterday from Harbour coach Allan Pollock after Tipoki was banned for three games for punching Stormers centre Jean de Villiers last weekend.

Tipoki's suspension and tour-ending injuries for Tasesa Lavea and Ben Atiga left the Blues to cobble together a backline for their next match against the Bulls on Saturday in Pretoria.

Second five-eighths Sam Tuitupou has recovered from his hamstring trouble, a rally which allows him to move into midfield between Luke McAlister and Mils Muliaina.

Tuitupou's medical clearance is critical for the Blues who were forced to summon wing Rudi Wulf and utility Tamati Ellison to Pretoria to help the injury crisis.

Coach Peter Sloane has resisted making any changes to his pack for what looms as a massive setpiece confrontation against a Bulls side which has gathered momentum with three successive wins.

The Blues will be based near Nelspruit- about a four-hour bus trip from Pretoria - for the first part of this week as they work through moves and strategies for the final game of their South African trip.

Tipoki has stayed with the squad but his ban has ended a brief return to the big-time and reopened memories of the indiscipline which blighted his earlier career. That was not lost on his new Harbour coach.

"It has undermined all the hard work he has done and the tragedy is that he will be tagged with his past," Pollock said.

"Rua will have to deal with that and it would be naive of him and me not to think it would be dredged up."

Tipoki left New Zealand four years ago after admitting he had concocted a story about breaking his hands in a gym accident when the injury happened elsewhere.

The New Zealand A centre spent several years in Japan before trying his luck last season in Waikato club rugby. A yellow card for a minor infraction counted against any rep squad selection so Tipoki moved to the Bay of Plenty.

He was one of the impressive backs in the NPC but missed out on the Chiefs and then transferred back to Harbour where he hooked up as a backup Blues squad member.

Tipoki played strongly when he replaced Atiga in the 37-24 win against the Stormers but he was cited for clouting de Villiers.

"There will be no sorrier person than Rua," Pollock said, "because he was making good strides in his resurrection in New Zealand.

"I don't see him as a problem child, nor did I have to think very long about signing him. But he will have to set himself higher standards than anyone else in the NPC.

"He will be baited, he will have to be cleaner than clean ... "

Tipoki retaliated after being impeded by de Villiers and while it was possible to understand the circumstances Pollock could not condone his actions.