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'I thought I was going to die' Timani reveals gruesome details of alleged attack

By Online Editors
Amanaki Mafi and Lopeti Timani

Lopeti Timani has opened up about his alleged attack by Melbourne Rebels teammate Amanaki Mafi in Dunedin.

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Speaking exclusively to Fairfax Media Timani said he was attacked and bundled into a car.

The incident was sparked by a swear word Timani used in front of the Mafis’ sister.

“His brother tried to hold me as ‘Naki’ [Mafi] started punching me in the face,” Timani told Fairfax Media

“I said, ‘Mate, why are you doing this to me, I thought you were my teammate, I know your family, are you punching me because you’re angry because I said something offensive to your family?’

“He was just punching me and he said ‘because I’m telling you now I’m the man, I’m the man’. I thought they were going to kill me. I thought I was going to die.”

Timani alleges that Mafi and his brother dragged him into a car, with Mafi holding him by his jumper while his brother drove around Dunedin.

“I didn’t know where they were trying to take me. Naki was just swearing at me in the Tongan rude way. I decided if the car stopped at a red light I would run and try to get back to the hotel.”

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Timani had been invited to dinner at Mafi’s brothers house after the Rebels game with the Higlandlanders. It was decsribed as a ‘relaxed atmosphere’, but the situation changed.

“He started throwing a punch at me … his older brother was standing on the side and at that time I thought he was going to stop us or tell Naki to calm down because I’d said sorry … then his brother decided he would punch me on my face, from the side, and then started bashing me and knocked me [down].

“I was trying to get back on my feet, to get off the ground, and I decided to run, because I felt something was wrong. I got out the door and ran. My face was bleeding and I was crying, so I called my brother, because I didn’t know who to call.”

Continue reading below…

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Timani believes the light from his phone while on the call to his brother Sione, led to him being spotted.

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“I heard someone say, ‘There’s Lopeti’ … They chased me again and caught me and started bashing me and kicking me on the ground,” he said.

“[It was] dumb to be doing that [drinking],” he said. “Naki got offended because I said something offensive in front of his sister, so he started having a go at me, saying I was saying something rude. We had an argument, I was trying to tell him I was sorry and ‘I didn’t mean to make you angry or offend anyone’.

Earlier this week The Daily Telegraph printed photos revealing the extent of Melbourne Rebels player’s injuries.

The horrific photos show Timani with two swollen black eyes, barely able to open them.

Amanaki Mafi faces a potential five-year jail term over the alleged attack and will face court on August 3, at which time he will be overseas with his Japanese top league club NTT Communications Shining Arcs. The Shining Arcs have issued an official apology for the behaviour of their star number eight, despite Mafi representing the Rebels at the time.

Mafi received bail which enabled him to leave New Zealand but he was ordered to refrain from having contact with Timani. He does not have to be present at the court hearing.

The incident soured the end of the Rebels season, hours after they lost to Highlanders in Dunedin. Mafi is an international recruit coming off contract with the Rebels. Having completed a two-year stint with the side, he is unable to re-sign for a third under foreign player restrictions but after this incident, the Rebels would likely have second-guessed keeping him around.

With Timani heading to France also, both players will likely not be with the team next year.

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Bull Shark 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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