Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu is on a diet of soft food and has already lost 2kg due to his broken jaw but the good news is he does not require surgery.
It means the lock’s comeback from the injury suffered when he collided with the head of loose forward Adrian Choat during the Blues’ first of two pre-season matches in Japan will be quicker.
It will certainly be faster than his comeback from a similar injury suffered while playing for Auckland in 2013 when the other side of jaw was broken in two places and required the insertion of metal plates.
He hopes to be back on the field in round five or six.
“I’ve broken the other side of my jaw real bad so I know what a proper break is like,” he said at the Super Rugby Pacific launch in Auckland yesterday. “This one isn’t too bad.”
It does, however, follow a broken arm last year and there is no doubt the latest setback has been frustrating as Tuipulotu, 31, had hoped to start the year strongly.
Quite apart from his goal of cementing a starting place for the All Blacks following the departures of veterans Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick, Tuipulotu's leadership and physicality will be missed by the Blues over the first few rounds.
“[The All Blacks] is at the top of my list as well as playing well for the Blues and winning a championship there. It’s one thing to get there [All Blacks] but another to be consistent. That’s the goal. Obviously, Sam and Brodie were there for a long time and they know what it takes. Getting there and staying there is the tough one.”
Tuipulotu, who has 99 caps for the Blues, made his All Blacks debut in 2014 but has been in and out of favour since. Given the loss of experience in the national team after the World Cup, however, he may be the favourite to partner Scott Barrett in the second row.
Tuipulotu’s left cheek still shows signs of puffiness and eating is an issue, with full-fat milk back on the menu.
“I’ve dropped 2kg already. I suppose that’s a good thing for me being a bigger person – dropping some weight – hopefully I’ll come back in good shape.”
In his absence, Sam Darry and loose forwards James Thompson and Cameron Suafua will carry the second row load in a team which has been driven hard by new coach Vern Cotter in pre-season.
“Vern’s old school but, in saying that, he’s got a good eye for things around the team,” Tuipulotu said.
“A lot of our forward work has been pretty good right through pre-season. He brings a good edge to that. He’s not scared to make a few changes if need be. I’ve enjoyed working with him and am looking forward to round one. Obviously we’ve had two pre-season in Japan which have prepared us well and have given us a few things to work on.”
The contact sessions for a team that improved under former head coach Leon MacDonald, and made the final in 2022, but remains a frustrating work in progress, came early in keeping with the tough reputation of the former Scotland and Fiji head coach.
“In the second week, he put us straight into 15-on-15 for a training session. That was a shock to the system, but the dividends will pay off.”
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