No guarantees for Guildford #rugby

AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota  Zac Guildford: Getting back on track
Zac Guildford may have served out his four-match suspension but that doesn't mean he'll slot back into the Crusaders line-up.

The winger was slapped with the ban by the New Zealand Rugby Union after an incident in a Rarotonga bar in which a drunk and naked Guildford attacked a fellow patron.

It was not the 23-year-old's first alcohol-related misstep either, having broken All Black team rules after partying following the All Blacks' Bledisloe Cup victory against Australia. In September, during the World Cup, Guildford admitted that he had some issues with drinking and that they were being addressed.

The NZRU have supported Guildford throughout but his actions in Rarotonga were deemed too severe to ignore and a ban was dished out. As a result, Guildford missed the Crusaders' three pre-season games and last weekend's Super Rugby opener against the Blues.

Such a talented player may be expected to immediately be thrust back into the starting line-up, but Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder reveals this may not be the case, especially with a back three of Tom Marshall, Israel Dagg and Sean Maitland at his disposal.

"No, there is no guarantee he will start," Blackadder told Reuters as the team prepare for their game against the Highlanders.

"We will just wait to see how everyone else pulls up. It is great that he is available, but there is no way we will guarantee him a starting spot."

The player himself - who has vowed to stay away from alcohol - has added further tattoos to his collection as he seeks reminders to help him stay on track.

The Greytown native has inked the quotes "Success is the best comeback" and "Don't let the music die in you" to serve as motivation.

"Which is another way of saying: live life," Guidlford told Fairfax of his latest tattoo.

"It is the story of my life," he added of his tattoo collection.

"There is my family there, a bit of rugby, a few quotes I liked about my dad and it means a lot to me. It is a way of expressing myself."

Guildford admits that staying away from booze is not an easy task but that it is a challenge he is up to tackling.

"I am a 23-year-old. I guess it [staying clear of alcohol] is a little bit difficult at times but at the moment I have a goal in mind and that is rugby," he explained.

"I can't be a hermit.

"I still keep in contact with all my mates and they play a huge role in what I want to achieve and that is to be a good rugby player."



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