Former All Black ‘bad boy’ Guildford sets out on road to redemption with Waratahs
>> GUILDFORD: Former All Black wild man Zac Guildford says there will be no excuses this time as he tries to resurrect his career with the NSW Waratahs after drink problems which he traces back to his father’s tragic death.
The 26-year-old is raring to go again after joining Australia’s 2014 Super 15 champions on a 10-month contract in September.
The winger is confident enough now to be giving media interviews in Sydney ahead of the new season starting in February.
“Can’t say I’ll never, ever drink again, but for the moment I’m pretty happy not doing it,” Guildford told The Australian newspaper.
Personal tragedy struck in 2009 when his father Robert died of a heart attack watching from the stands as Guildford and his New Zealand team-mates won the Junior World Cup in Tokyo.
“It messed me up big time,” Guildford told foxsports.com.au.
“I went from I guess jubilation and then five minutes later I found out that my dad passed away, and I’m looking in the stands and my mum’s crying.”
It set off a descent from World Cup heroics to serious alcohol problems and his sacking from the Canterbury Crusaders in 2014.
“I used dad’s passing as an excuse for a long time... But I can’t keep using it as an excuse until I’m 40,” he said.
“I need to make my dad proud and play some awesome rugby and do well off the field.”
Guildford first went to France but walked out of a contract with Top 14 side Clermont in May, citing “personal reasons”.
It was Waratahs head coach Daryl Gibson — his coach at the Crusaders — who talked Guildford into a move to Australia to embark on a fresh start.
“It showed me that he wanted me as a rugby player and to be a part of an organisation, but also that he actually cared about me outside of rugby,” Guildford said.
After the signing, Gibson acknowledged the winger faces a challenge to fit in after the tumultuous years.
“He’s probably been carrying that ‘bad-boy’ baggage around with him for the past few years, and from my observations he has moved past it and grown up a bit,” Gibson said.
Guildford played 11 Tests, debuting against Wales in 2009, and was a part of New Zealand’s 2011 World Cupwinning squad.
Meanwhile, Dan Carter is set to make his debut for Racing 92 today in the European Champions Cup clash with Northampton in Paris.
The All Black superstar fly-half, who retired from international rugby after winning the World Cup in England, was named in the Racing matchday squad two weeks after arriving in France.
The 33-year-old Carter says that he is ready to handle the pressure that comes with playing for such a highprofile team as Racing.
“There’s always going to be pressure, that’s part of the game that I love,” he said.
“I don’t think there’s going to be any more pressure playing here after what’s happened in my career than before most Test matches.”