Jamie George has strongly criticised his Saracens teammate Totoa Auvaa's behaviour during a nightclub incident that resulted in cricketers Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson being dropped by England, but insisted the young player is fundamentally a good person. The England international and former captain described the 21-year-old Samoan back-row forward as 'a rabbit in the headlights in London' and said the academy player 'doesn't know right from wrong'.
Details of the incident
As revealed by the Guardian, Auvaa avoided formal sanctions over events that took place at the Rex Rooms in Chelsea in the early hours of 8 June. Saracens called the events 'regrettable for all parties involved' and said they remained 'supportive' of their player. During the altercation, Auvaa threw a punch at Atkinson, which missed and struck an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) security guard. The security guard required stitches but opted not to report the matter to the police.
George's remarks
Speaking to the Times and Telegraph, George said: 'He's a young kid who has only left Samoa once. He is immature. He is a rabbit in the headlights in London. He's a good kid, but he's got it wrong. There's no disputing that. But we need to make sure that we establish that sort of behaviour is unacceptable.' George added: 'There's also a bit of me that thinks we've got to look after him because he doesn't know right from wrong at the minute. We'll look after him. We will make sure that he's got role models around him.'
Impact on England cricketers
In the wake of the incident, Stokes, the England captain, and Atkinson were stood down for the second Test against New Zealand pending the results of a disciplinary investigation into a breach of team protocols. They were recalled for the current third Test after an investigation by the independent Cricket Regulator found 'insufficient evidence' against the pair. A parallel investigation by the ECB also absolved Stokes and Atkinson of any wrongdoing, albeit they were issued with written conduct warnings for contravening 'specific contractual obligations'.
Saracens' position
Saracens have not publicly commented beyond their initial statement, but George's remarks indicate the club is taking a supportive yet firm stance internally. The incident has raised questions about player conduct and the support systems in place for young athletes moving to a new country.
