Once, Twice, Three Times a Victim

Another week, another player being banned for attacking Ulster's Stephen Ferris.

Bath's perennial bad-boy, Danny Grewcock has been handed a seven week ban for stamping on Ferris' arm during Bath's 28-10 home Heineken Cup defeat by Ulster.
This comes after Julien Dupuy casually gave Ferris a sneaky facial during the Ulster v Stade Francais Heineken Cup game. 

Then it was the turn of David Attoub, who decided to give Ferris an impromptu eye examination during the same game.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this.  Either Ferris has some kind of hex on him which attracts this kind of negative attention, or strange mystical forces are in place with the message: "Attack Stephen Ferris at your peril."

Well, the saying is that "it comes in threes" so maybe Ferris can finally breathe a sigh of relief.  He hopes.

What's the Difference between Rugby and Facebook?

The answer is that poking is fun on Facebook but not in a game of rugby.

Yes Julien Dupuy and David Attoub of Stade Francais, I am talking to you.

Poor Stephen Ferris of Ulster was singled out for a disgusting spot of eye-gouging by this dispicable duo during the Ulster vs Stade Francais Heineken Cup Round 3 game, and the pair will now face a disciplinary hearing this Thursday.

Dupuy and Attoub released a joint statement, which says:
"..We apologise to the players and the Ulster club. Our actions were neither premeditated nor intentional.

"We also want to apologise to our club, players and staff for the negative image we've created."

So your actions weren't premeditated eh?  Let's look at the evidence.

First up, scrum-half Julien Dupuy:

"The pictures aren't really in my favour but I really didn't mean to put my fingers in his eyes," Dupuy told a French radio station. "I don't think I'm a dirty player."

Riiight.

Next up, David Attoub:

Yep, I can see some definite finger to eye contact in both cases.

So what should the punishment be for this pair of pokers?

Schalk Burger got off lightly with an eight week ban for poking his finger right into the eye socket of Lions winger Luke Fitzgerald this summer.  Then a couple of months ago, Shane Jennings was banned for twelve weeks after "making contact with the eye area of Nick Kennedy", even though the disciplinary panel said it was on the "lower end of the scale of seriousness for this type of offence."

So what options do the disciplinary panel have?  Well with the Shane Jennings case as a precedent I'd say Dupuy and Attoub are both looking down the barrel of a minimum 3 month ban if they are found guilty of eye-gouging, but the panel can dish out a ban of up to three years if they see fit.

I'm not saying that Dupuy and Attoub should be made examples of, but surely the only way to deter players from indulging in this disgusting and dangerous tactic which has no place in the game of rugby is to start handing out bans of 6 - 12 months or more.

I will be keeping my eye on this story...