All Blacks prop Ben Franks said Monday he was willing to take a punch in the face for the good of the team if it meant an opposing player was sent off.
The 117 kilogram, 1.85 metre strongman - who relishes the physical side of the game - said he was looking forward to facing the hard-hitting Tongan side in the opening match of the World Cup on Friday.
And the 27-year-old said he was not worried about being on the receiving end of illegal activity, adding that he would not retaliate if provoked.
"If you want to flip the coin and miss weeks in the World Cup (through suspension) then I'll be happy to take a punch in the face if they guy goes off and misses a month. It doesn't bother me," he said.
"The game's so fast now you don't want to take time out to do stuff illegally. If you're trying to do stuff on the ground and the game moves on you need to try and stay in that area [where the ball is]."
AFP
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