Riki Flutey, one of the few members of Martin Johnson's England team to enhance his reputation during the Six Nations campaign, has spoken for the first time about his shame at being involved as a naive 21-year-old in an assault case in Argentina. Read his thoughts in the Mail on Sunday.
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England's Riki Flutey was the joint-top tryscorer in this year's Six Nations
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"Flutey appreciated just how lucky he had been to be granted a second chance to follow the rugby career he had put at risk eight years ago. For in 2001 Flutey assaulted an 18-year-old Argentine student in the city of Rosario while on tour with Wellington Academy.
"...Flutey's dreams were torn apart when, in a moment of madness he still cannot fully explain, he got into an argument with Argentine student Gabriel Capotosti. The row ended with Flutey attacking the teenager, breaking his nose and fracturing his right eye socket.
'I got into a confrontation and just lashed out,' he recalled. 'I knew immediately that what I'd done was wrong and I was in big trouble.' Flutey was arrested and spent four days in a police cell while negotiations took place between his tour bosses and the Argentina authorities."
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