Saracens: Totoa Auvaa’s behaviour in nightclub incident criticised by team-mate Jamie George
Jamie George has criticized Saracen teammate Totoa Auvaa’s “unacceptable” behavior after the Samoan was involved in a nightclub incident with England cricket captain Ben Stokes and bowler Gus Atkinson.
George, the reserve rugby captain who has 110 England caps, said the academy player looked like a “rabbit under the lights in London” and that the 21-year-old “can’t tell right from wrong” but insisted he was a “good boy”.
Earlier this week Saracens said striker Auvaa would not face any official sanction following their own investigation into the incident on 8 June.
They said that although the incident was “regrettable for all parties involved” the Prem Rugby club “continues to support the player”.
England cricket captain Stokes and bowler Atkinson broke their team’s midnight curfew when they went out to celebrate victory in the first Test earlier this month.
They were present when a member of England’s security staff was left bleeding and requiring medical attention when he was shot by Auvaa.
“He’s a young boy who’s only left Samoa once,” George, 35, was quoted as saying by The Times and The Telegraph.
“He’s immature. He’s a rabbit in the headlights in London. He’s a good boy but he gets it wrong. There’s no objection to that. But we have to make sure we prove that this kind of behavior is unacceptable.”
“Part of me thinks we should keep an eye on him because he can’t tell right from wrong right now.
“We’ll take care of him. We’ll make sure he has role models around him.”
Stoke and Atkinson were made unavailable for England’s second Test defeat pending an investigation into the events.
A disciplinary hearing by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) found that Stokes and Atkinson had breached “contractual obligations” but were not guilty of “violent conduct” and the pair were given a written warning without further action.
A separate investigation by the Regulator of Cricket found there was no case to answer due to insufficient evidence.
“No charges should be brought against the players for the violent behavior in the nightclub,” the ECB said.
“Stokes was not involved in the fight and did not witness either incident.
“The evidence seen by the ECB shows that Atkinson was the victim of unprovoked attacks and did not retaliate on either occasion.”
Saracens criticized the ECB for not involving them in the process.
