Going on a drinking session before a long-haul flight to Argentina was an extremely poor decision by Aaron Cruden, one that seems totally out of character, but it needn't define him.
Just like Israel Dagg and Cory Jane, who went out drinking during the 2011 World Cup in Auckland (it later transpired that sleeping pills were also involved), Cruden will bounce back from this.
He will have had it spelled out to him in no uncertain terms that his behaviour was unacceptable. The process he will go through to get back on the right side of the ledger as far as his teammates and coach Steve Hansen are concerned will be a painful one, and more on that later.
Both Dagg, who was injured at the time, and Jane had to go through it too and they were outstanding in the latter stages of the World Cup after their indiscretions.
Cruden is likely to have many chances to redeem himself on the playing field once he sits out his two-test suspension, which includes the test against the Springboks in Johannesburg which has the potential to be the highlight of this year's Rugby Championship.