Flutey gets his black jersey - Nonu's one
By JIM KAYES in London - Fairfax Media | Monday, 01 December 2008Riki Flutey has an All Blacks jersey to take home at last.
The England second five-eighth, who is as Kiwi as it gets, traded jerseys with his old Wellington and Hurricanes teammate, Ma'a Nonu, after yesterday's test.
Though the All Blacks won by 26 points - a record margin for them at Twickenham - and Nonu was named man of the match, Flutey was buzzing.
Forget the score, ignore the defeat and who cares if Nonu had a supreme game and Flutey a, well, a reasonable one. The kid from Wairarapa who went to Te Aute College had played against the All Blacks in a test in front of 81,180 people. And his coach, the iconic Martin Johnson, said he'd been "outstanding" on and off the field. Life doesn't get much better.
Flutey had a grin a mile wide as he talked about facing the haka and playing the All Blacks. "It was a really good experience. I enjoyed every minute of it. It got quite emotional in the national anthems but it all seemed to go in a blur. It was so special to play against my country."
Though he knew most of the All Blacks well, having played with or against them in Super 14 or NPC, Flutey said there was no banter during the test, his fourth. "Business is business and you get on with it. The harder you play against each other the more you respect each other."
Afterward, old friendships kicked in, with Flutey making a beeline for the New Zealand dressing room. "I caught up with everyone and it was a very special moment. It's fantastic. Swapping jerseys with Ma'a was awesome and I will definitely frame it up."
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