David Attoub should retire after shaming rugby

It's to be hoped that the overwhelming majority of you would wince, flinch or shudder at the prospect.

One of the minor miracles of sport is that through a self-discipline borne of understanding the moral code of the game, there are not dozens - maybe even hundreds - of serious injuries sustained every weekend by rugby union players.

The game is fierce, often brutal, and at every breakdown, the potential exists for players' heads to be kicked and their eyes to be gouged. It doesn't happen because of players' mutual respect and because to descend to that level would lead pretty quickly to the demise of the whole sport.

However, during a recent Heineken Cup rugby match, David Attoub, a player with Stade Francais, perpetrated what the judge in his case described as "the worst act of contact with the eyes that I have had to deal with. It is a case of deliberate eye-gouging".

As things stand, Attoub has been banned for 70 weeks. For many of us, that will be 70 weeks too soon and yet accusations of anti-French bias come swooping across the Channel from Stade Francais' flamboyant multi-millionaire owner Max Guazzini.

"They based their judgement on the British system," he whined and announced a range of appeals against this draconian judgement.

This is not an isolated incident in Attoub's career. He has been suspended for foul play on three previous occasions and the evidence he gave at the inquiry has been described as 'evasive'. Read the comments of Stephen Ferris, the Ulster flanker and victim of Attoub's assault, and you appreciate the fear that enveloped him at the prospect of losing the eye altogether.

Rugby union is reaching a watershed moment when it comes to player discipline. Guazzini's brilliant initiatives in promoting the game in the French capital mean club matches at Stade de France often attract crowds of 80,000. And Twickenham was nearly full at Christmas.

The Six Nations approaches and the BBC will again anticipate record audiences, while the next World Cup is 18 months away. But with the surge in popularity comes increased responsibility.

Guazzini is clearly 'Mad Max' if he is oblivious to the crime one of his players committed. If Attoub's sentence is reduced, it will be an indication that the game's authorities are still shying away from one of their greatest responsibilities - to preserve the reputation and credibility of the sport.

Look back at that person opposite again. Stick your fingers in their eyes and you could go to jail. Attoub should think himself lucky and if he has anything about him at all, he'd announce his retirement forthwith. The game doesn't need the likes of him.

There's nothing foul about Arsenal actions

Owen Coyle, Mark Davies — the player steamrollered by William Gallas at Emirates on Wednesday — and his Bolton team-mates, were all victims, in a way, of their own sport's lack of integrity.

Davies was clattered but Arsenal played on, scored a goal, won the match and now top the Premier League. Bolton cry foul' and say it was clear that the tackle was a shocker, Davies could have broken his leg and Arsenal, at the very least, should have kicked the ball out of play.

The trouble is that in most top-flight games, week-in week-out, players go down for absolutely no justifiable reason at all and we go through the ridiculous charade of one team kicking the ball off the pitch and then the other kicking it back to them after the minimal and often non-existent medical attention has been paid to the hapless soul lying on the turf. Whether consciously or otherwise, Arsenal made a stand against such behaviour on Wednesday — you can get treatment after we've finished off our attack, they were saying. And good on them.

Everyone in the game wishes Davies well in his recovery. He very clearly was not play-acting. But too many in the past have been. Which is why Arsene Wenger has (for once) nothing to apologise about in that respect. His players were being professional, when so many in the past have not been.

One thing to remember, though, Mr Wenger. Should Cesc Fabregas go down after a perceived foul in that key game at Stamford Bridge in a couple of weeks and Chelsea play on and Nicolas Anelka scores, you are duty-bound to commend them for doing so. What goes around . . .

Reason to be cheerful

Just having known Bill McLaren. Nothing more,
nothing less.