Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri will consider changing his lifestyle after he was banned for the remainder of Australia's pre-World Cup rugby Tests in the latest chapter of a turbulent year.

Tuqiri, 27, was suspended for the coming Tri Nations Tests against South Africa and New Zealand and fined $20,000 following his failure to attend a team medical on Monday and a subsequent recovery session.

He was breath-tested at 1.30pm on Sunday afternoon at the request of team management because he looked "a bit shattered", and his reading of .05 was above the team limit.

While the team disciplinary committee of coach John Connolly, manager Phil Thompson and players Scott Staniforth and Daniel Vickerman originally decided to suspend Tuqiri for one match and impose a $20,000 fine, their decision was referred to the Australian Rugby Union.

ARU chief executive John O'Neill ultimately decided after consulting senior management to invoked a two-match suspended sentence slapped on Tuqiri after an incident in Cape Town on July 21, 2005, when he was involved in a scuffle with teammate Matt Henjak in a nightclub.

It was one of the first significant decisions made by O'Neill since he started his second term of office last Thursday.

He said it would have sent out a bad message if he hadn't applied the suspended sentence.

"For consistency's sake, application of the two match suspended sentence had to be invoked," O'Neill said.

The final financial penalty for Tuqiri is likely to be in excess of $40,000, given that he will miss out on two $11,500 match fees.

The 53-Test back said he had misread his diary after having "a few quiet drinks" with some teammates and friends on Sunday evening.

"It was just a bad read by me, I didn't read my diary properly and we've got certain standards and I failed to turn up at a timed session and I thought that it was what I'd done the day before," Tuqiri said.

Connolly said he was "comfortable" with the decision to invoke the two-game suspension and was adamant it wouldn't disrupt Tuqiri's World Cup preparations.

He said there had been no discussion yet about whether Tuqiri might get some match fitness in the inaugural Australian Rugby Championship starting next month, but he doubted that would happen, though he didn't rule it out totally.

The punishment added to a catalogue of woes suffered by Tuqiri this season.

In the first week of the year he was sent home from a Wallabies training camp after failing a fitness test.

In March, he apologised for shoving NSW teammate Sam Norton-Knight and verbally abusing him for an on-field mistake.

He was in hot water again in May when he apologised to Wallaby selector Michael O'Connor for broadcasting a personal conversation about NSW teammate Peter Hewat on his phone loudspeaker.

And he missed two Tests against Wales in Sydney and Brisbane while team management had the winger working on his speed leading up to September's World Cup.

"Its been a tough season, but I've got to keep my head up," Tuqiri said.

With similarly high profile rugby league star Sonny Bill Williams recently revealing he was also considering a change of lifestyle after a string of off-field incidents, Tuqiri admitted he might have to do likewise.

"It's just something I will have to look at, there are other issues too, I've got time management issues as well," Tuqiri said.

With Tuqiri unavailable, Connolly said Mark Gerrard would take his place against South Africa in Sydney on Saturday, with Drew Mitchell coming onto the bench.

"I feel bad, I've let down the fans and supporters going to (Saturday's) game, I'm a bit sheepish, my family, letting them down as well," Tuqiri said.

Connolly emphasised the Wallabies had a strong senior playing group and off-field culture.

O'Neill said he had every confidence in Tuqiri bouncing back from this latest set back and expected him to have an outstanding World Cup campaign.

"These circumstances are always disappointing, we've worked very hard to get standards of behaviour on and off the field," O'Neill said.

Another player breath tested in the camp reported a zero reading.

Tuqiri accepted full responsibility for missing the scheduled commitments and was philosophical about not being reminded of them by any of his teammates.

"It comes back to me, I take full responsibility, it shouldn't be in someone else hands to do something for me," Tuqiri said.

Asked about whether Tuqiri had signed a new contract to remain in Rugby, O'Neill said "while the ink may not be dry, the agreement in principal is in place".

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