The New Zealand Herald's Dylan Cleaver reports on All Blacks winger Zac Guildford's latest drunken antics.
"Every regular on the Hawkes Bay social scene has their own Zac Guildford story and they all involve the combustible ingredients of his latest disgrace: alcohol and obnoxious, sometimes violent, behaviour.
This cannot have escaped the attention of Hawkes Bay, Crusader or New Zealand rugby bosses, but so far none have been able to impress upon the wayward wing just what he is on the verge of throwing away.
"That's the fascinating part of this story, not Guildford's behaviour per se. We can summarise that simply by saying he has a binge-drinking problem that does not differentiate him from thousands of "normal" young New Zealand males - the incongruity being that his skills as a rugby player and the rewards that bring means he does not qualify as a "normal" young New Zealander.
"In recent years, rugby officials have assumed that the sport can play a big role in helping those with anti-social issues. That's why they kept giving guys like Sione Lauaki and Jimmy Cowan second and third chances. They believe that professional rugby, by and large, provides a positive environment for young men."
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