Twenty years ago to the day, Chris Stephens was forced to pay £2,000 compensation for punching an opponent so hard that he was forced to abandon his career.
In Bridgend’s first Welsh-Scottish League game of the 1999/2000 season at Cross Keys, Stephens made headline news for all the wrong reasons after punching rival full-back Ioan Bebb in the eye.
The blow saw Bebb suffer a broken nose and detached retina which needed surgery, before which he was told he faced the possibility of losing sight in the affected eye.
Bebb, who scored 355 points to steer Cross Keys to promotion from the First Division, was forced to retire from rugby after being warned about not being able to play safely again.
The incident led to a court case, but on the field that day Stephens was actually only sin-binned as a result of his foul play.
Bebb told Blackwood Magistrates' Court he thought "10 minutes in the sin bin was a bit lenient", recalling of the incident: "I passed the ball and tried to move forward with the play. But I was being held around the knees.
"I shouted for him to let go and turned away to face the play. Then I had a sensation of intense pain which I equated with the feeling of being punched.
"But I had been punched in the past but the pain was much more intense this time. I was dazed but not unconscious and I was aware that I walked from the pitch.
"The next thing I remember is sitting in the changing rooms and seeing my wife and children come in."
Stephens, a second-row capped twice by Wales, had made his debut against England at Twickenham in 1998 before playing his second and final Test in Tokyo three years later.
However, the incident with Bebb cast an unfortunate light on his playing career - being ordered to pay £2,000 compensation to his opponent and given 200 hours’ community service after admitting grievous bodily harm.
Stephens said at the time: "I was very sorry about what happened and I am sorry for Ioan if he cannot play again."
His solicitor added: "He regrets what has happened.
"It was a single blow not struck with any intention of causing significant harm - the effect was an extremely rare chance injury."
Bebb, a maths and PE teacher, previously said the decision to go to court was forced upon him due to a lack of action against Stephens, even claiming then Wales team manager David Pickering tried to talk him out of legal action.
Bebb, who also played football for Wolverhampton Wanderers before his rugby career, was quoted as saying: "I was contacted by Pickering, who tried to persuade me to come to an agreement with Bridgend.
"It surprised me that he contacted me. It would have been very hypocritical of me to keep my mouth shut.
"It goes against my beliefs as a PE teacher in that I tell the children that violence is unacceptable. I'm disappointed that Graham Henry [the Wales coach] has not come out stronger and stopped selecting him [Stephens] for international rugby.
"Seeking redress through the court was the hardest decision I've ever had to take. It was forced on me because the governing body weren't prepared to take any action themselves.
"I would have liked to see the WRU ban him. Instead, his only rugby punishment has been 10 minutes in the sin-bin. I've lost about 25 per cent vision in my right eye. That's unlikely to return. I'm just hoping there's no further deterioration."
After giving up rugby, Stephens has gone down a well-trodden path - taking up the triathlon alongside the likes of fellow ex-players Ian Gough, Shane Williams, Richard Webster and Paul Arnold.
Beyond that, Stephens is managing director at SES Building & Energy Solutions Ltd.
