Blood & Mud

Julien Dupuy's ban appeal

Stade Francais and Marc Lievremont are not happy that Julien Dupuy is banned for six months.  This is understandable as he is arguably the form scrum-half in Europe at the minute and his absence from his club and country will hit them hard. So what they are actually doing is taking the usual scoundrel's way out by bleating about technicalities.  The fact is that they have a case under French law for the decision to be reviewed, that will undoubtedly lead to a reduction in the ban and they are pursuing it. Shame on them.

At a time when the entire game is abhorring the practise of eye-gouging, and the authorities finally hand out something resembling a proper sanction, France chooses this time to focus on the detail rather than the principle. 

Let's be honest, the game in France has always had the worst reputation for this practice - John Eales threatened to take the Wallabies off the field in the 1999 World Cup Final, such was the extent of the gouging of his team -  and this was a clear opportunity for them to show to the world that they believe Dupuy acted in a despicable and cowardly manner.

Instead, we have Stade owner Guzzardi uttering crap like "The ERC wanted to make an example of a symbolic player of Stade Francais and of the French team which has never had a disciplinary problem."  No, the ERC wanted to make an example that gouging has no place in the game and those that are caught doing it are going to get their arses kicked. Gouging is a violent criminal act that should shame the perpetrator, and no-one should be offering public mealy-mouthed defences. 

The loss of Dupuy will hit his teams hard, but not as hard as it would hit Stephen Ferris to lose sight in one eye.  I know this didn't happen, but the fact is that this is more by luck than design, because if you stick your fingers in a person's eye socket you have no idea what the outcome will be.  Given the evidence above, six months was probably too light.

Dupuy, his club and FFR should be thankful he didn't blind anyone, shut their yap and take the sanction on the chin.  Or in the eye.

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Julien Dupuy's ban appeal

Stade Francais and Marc Lievremont are not happy that Julien Dupuy is banned for six months.  This is understandable as he is arguably the form scrum-half in Europe at the minute and his absence from his club and country will hit them hard. So what they are actually doing is taking the usual scoundrel's way out by bleating about technicalities.  The fact is that they have a case under French law for the decision to be reviewed, that will undoubtedly lead to a reduction in the ban and they are pursuing it. Shame on them.

At a time when the entire game is abhorring the practise of eye-gouging, and the authorities finally hand out something resembling a proper sanction, France chooses this time to focus on the detail rather than the principle. 

Let's be honest, the game in France has always had the worst reputation for this practice - John Eales threatened to take the Wallabies off the field in the 1999 World Cup Final, such was the extent of the gouging of his team -  and this was a clear opportunity for them to show to the world that they believe Dupuy acted in a despicable and cowardly manner.

Instead, we have Stade owner Guzzardi uttering crap like "The ERC wanted to make an example of a symbolic player of Stade Francais and of the French team which has never had a disciplinary problem."  No, the ERC wanted to make an example that gouging has no place in the game and those that are caught doing it are going to get their arses kicked. Gouging is a violent criminal act that should shame the perpetrator, and no-one should be offering public mealy-mouthed defences. 

The loss of Dupuy will hit his teams hard, but not as hard as it would hit Stephen Ferris to lose sight in one eye.  I know this didn't happen, but the fact is that this is more by luck than design, because if you stick your fingers in a person's eye socket you have no idea what the outcome will be.  Given the evidence above, six months was probably too light.

Dupuy, his club and FFR should be thankful he didn't blind anyone, shut their yap and take the sanction on the chin.  Or in the eye.