French prop Jean-Jacques Crenca has a fearsome reputation and fiery temper, and missed the last World Cup following a vicious stamping incident while on a tour of New Zealand.
He is now a changed man and has promised referee Jonathan Kaplan he will be a paragon of virtue during Sunday's World Cup quarter-final showdown with Ireland.
Although his original suspension was six weeks the incident effectively cost Crenca two years of international rugby as he struggled to shed the image of a hot-headed and dangerous individual.
When he worked his way back into the side in 2001, France coach Bernard Laporte warned him he would be sent packing at the first sign of trouble.
But the 34-year-old insisted there was never any danger of that - that was the old Jean-Jacques Crenca.
"That incident in New Zealand was the first problem I had but I carried that tag with me for a year after that and was pigeon-holed as a violent player," Crenca said.
"I used to have a philosophy of an eye for an eye. If someone provoked me, my first reaction was to give one back."
"Now, my philosophy is that the referee is there and it's up to him to sort out any transgressions."
"I used to get really worked up before the game, really psyched up, probably it was a little bit too much energy, too much negative energy."
"These days I'm more relaxed, less hyped up. I just concentrate on what plays we are going to use."
"The whole team realises that indiscretions cost us points and matches. The whole team has the same mentality - it's too expensive in terms of points not to be like that," Crenca said.
Crenca will come up against 19 stone opposite number John Hayes on Sunday in what promises to be a monumental front-row battle.
Much has been made of the attacking merits of the respective back divisions but the battle up front promises to be a physical, uncompromising contest.
Crenca may have left behind his violent streak but there was still time for a dig at Hayes, no doubt aimed in match referee Jonathan Kaplan's direction, before the big kick-off.
"Ireland have a very experienced front row and they're very difficult to manoeuvre," he said.
"Hayes is a big, strong guy and that gives him an advantage straightaway. Technically, he does things differently - sometimes he gets pulled up for it by the referee, sometimes not."