Brumbies and Wallabies lock Darcy Swain apologises after Quinn Tupaea hit and six-week suspension

Swain made a mad dash to join the injury-hit Wallabies squad this week despite being suspended for the first two weeks of the spring tour of Europe.

In his first interview since being slapped with a six-week ban, Swain said he wants to make amends with his actions and revealed his immediate regret after his "ugly" hit on New Zealand's Quinn Tupaea

The clumsy breakdown cleanout triggered outrage from fans and past players, with Tupaea's World Cup hopes in doubt as he begins a nine-month recovery process.

The ACT Brumbies lock has been labelled a grub by some after an international season which also included a red card for headbutting England's Jonny Hill.

But Swain is determined to do the work required to change the perception, genuine in his remorse and conceding people had a right to be angry.

"I knew I'd stuffed up straight away," Swain said.

"If I could take it back, I would. It was a mistake and for that I'll always be sorry.

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"Everyone's entitled to an opinion and I'm not going to hold that against them or tell them they're wrong or anything because it was an ugly situation.

"I just never meant for it happen. It was an accident, there was no intent. As soon as I knew what was happening, I pulled out.

"A lot of people have labelled me a grub from the Jonny Hill incident and now what happened with Quinn ... but I'm not that kind of player. I did get it wrong, it was a mistake.

"It was clumsy, it was poor technique on my behalf. That's something I'm going away and working on now."

Swain says he apologised to Tupaea on the field, after the match and then again after getting his number from All Blacks prop and former teammate Tyrell Lomax.

The 25-year-old was on the bench in Melbourne last month before being called on to the field minutes before the All Blacks made a break into Wallabies territory.

Swain hit the breakdown once before being ripped off the ball by Sam Whitelock. When he got up, he rejoined to help Tom Wright and Marika Koroibete win the ball and that's when it all went wrong.

"A big part of my role is to win breakdowns and I was looking for what we call a side window, come in and grab the leg, slip and and take them through and around," Swain said.

Tupaea was in a vulnerable position over the ball when Swain hit his legs. He ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and will miss the entire Super Rugby campaign next year.

"My left shoulder got pinned up on the back of Tom Wright, and I just fell into it in the wrong manner. I just got it wrong, there's no excuse," Swain said.

"As soon as I hit him I knew I was in the wrong. I tried to roll off straight away, I didn't continue trying to drive his leg. I said I was sorry on the field and again afterwards.

"I said to him that I know it won't make a difference, but I'll forever be sorry for putting a good man on the sideline. That's not the type of guy I am."

Swain has spoken to the Brumbies' sports psychologist about his actions and the fallout of a rollercoaster Wallabies campaign.

He expects Super Rugby and international opponents to target him in matches to try to get under his skin and put him off his game.

The Queensland junior Swain lashed out at Hill after a running battle on the field in July and he was suspended for two weeks.

"I think 2020 was my worst year, I was a penalty magnet," Swain said.

"I definitely don't want to get back there, I've got to be disciplined and pick my moments.

"It might be a challenge for me that people might come harder at me, try to niggle me. That's a given, I've got to wear it. I've got to back myself."

Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said Swain was still learning how to use his physicality on the field.

"He wasn't trying to hurt anyone, there was no malice [in the Tupaea hit]," Larkham said.

"He plays with a physical edge and he needs to because of the position he plays, but he's not that sort of guy.

"He's the furthest from that sort of a person that you're ever going to meet."

Swain was initially left out of the spring tour squad and was only expected to join the Wallabies if required when his suspension ends on November 6.

But coach Dave Rennie sent an SOS to Swain on Wednesday afternoon when scans confirmed Matt Philip had torn his anterior cruciate ligament at training.

Swain had planned to keep training in Canberra before returning to the Brumbies for pre-season at the end of the year, but will now turn his attention to three of the five Tests.

He made his Test debut last year, but will be ineligible for selection for matches against Scotland next week and France on November 6.

"I still get those nerves before a Test and have to do a lot of work, that hasn't changed," Swain said.

"At the moment I'm not at that level of making those efforts like Allan [Alaalatoa], James Slipper and Marika [Koroibete]. But I want to get there.

"I didn't feel as if I deserved to be at Test level last year, but now I do. It's about earning those opportunities and now regardless of whether I do or don't play [this year], it's about building and trying to be better.

"Everything that has happened won't change the way I play. I need to control things a bit better and channel it in a way it comes out through rugby and not through silly, clumsy efforts that hurt the team."

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