WITH the International Championship having started 10 days ago and with two matches scheduled next Saturday, international rugby is very much centre stage in the sporting arena. It is being watched by millions on television. Attention will be focussed on the game as it is watched by the interested and the curious and that imposes its own obligation on the players, the referees and the administrators. The greater the exposure the bigger the obligation.

We regularly hear from rugby officials that they are adamant that those who indulge in rough play will be punished. There is no doubt that players are being disciplined now with greater regularity and video evidence is picking up offences that are not seen by match officials.

But are the scales of justice evenly balanced in relation to the disciplinary action being taken against players and is the punishment fitting the crimes in all cases? I would suggest the answer is no on both counts. Furthermore, a blind eye is being turned by administrators in some countries when it is convenient and expedient. We had a good example of that last week. The video evidence against the French prop Franck Tournaire for his deliberate stamp on the face of Ireland hooker Allen Clarke was clear cut.

The sentence imposed on Tournaire - a one international match ban - is not alone lenient in the extreme, it is demonstrably wrong. When compared to the sentence imposed last season on Peter Clohessy for stamping on Olivier Roumat, the sentence imposed on Tournaire is indefensible. When the matter was raised after the match with French manager Joe Maso he said: "We will take sanctions if they are warranted, but we must be sure." I would agree totally with Maso. The evidence was absolutely clear cut, as it was last season in relation to Clohessy.

Indeed, the similarity of the cases is striking. Clohessy was sentenced on the basis of video evidence, after the video was viewed on the Saturday night of the match. Who cited Clohessy? It was both the IRFU and the FFR.

It is very reasonable to ask why Tournaire was not cited after Irish and French officials looked at the video on the night of the match. It was a cop out to leave the matter of imposing discipline to the French Federation. The French president Bernard Lapasset was right when he said that the proper procedure was not followed and that Tournaire should have been cited. There is no doubt his suspension would have been far greater than a one match ban if he had been.

The FFR was not going to impose a big suspension on Tournaire and incur the wrath of sections of the game in France. If the suspension had been imposed by the match commissioner it would have taken the responsibility from the FFR.

Peter Clohessy was a softer target. In saying that, I am offering no defence for his stamp on Roumat. He admitted himself it was dangerous and that he would take the punishment and learn from it. Three years ago, he was kicked around Parc des Princes and had cuts in three different parts of his head and had to go off the field. There was evidence from the video that time, too, and nobody did anything about it.

I hope that the lesson has been learned from the derisory one match ban on Tournaire. In future, players should, in similar circumstances, be cited. The law says: "Where a player commits an act of foul play which has not been detected by match officials either of the unions or affiliated organisations participating in the match have the discretion to cite that player to show cause why he should not be held accountable in the same way as a player who has been ordered off."

That leaves no room for doubt.

I believe that for all the pious talk we get about stamping out rough and dangerous play, too often at international level players get away with dangerous play that, if committed in club matches would warrant dismissal. How often do we see referees put up a finger of admonishment? They only occasionally produce the yellow card and award penalties when players stamp on opponents.

Deliberate stamping is a sending off offence, as is deliberately kicking an opponent. Indeed, the recommended suspension for kicking and stamping is six weeks "for the first offence". Referees cannot see everything, nor can touch judges. Indeed, the game would be much better served if some touch judges were less intrusive on some matters and more vigilant on others.

Video evidence has done much to help clean up rugby and other sports. However, it sometimes takes that kind of evidence to prompt officials to take action. There was a long held belief in rugby that players knew they would get away with deliberate acts of foul play in internationals and the evidence to support that is very strong.

For instance, it was not until 1925 that a player was sent off in an international. He was All Black Cyril Brownlee. He was sent off by A E Freethy in the match against England. It caused a sensation at the time. It was not until 1967 that the next player was sent off in an international. Again it was a New Zealander, Colin Meads. He was sent off by Ireland's Kevin Kelleher at Murrayfield.

Mike Burton, of England, was the third player sent off in an international, against Australia in 1975. Two years later Willie Duggan (Ireland) and Geoff Wheel (Wales) were sent off by Norman Sanson, of Scotland, in Cardiff.

Since that incident, 31 more players have been sent off in internationals. Unquestionably, video evidence is a factor. And who heads the list of indiscipline? It is scarcely surprising that the French are way out in front. They have had nine players sent off, including two in one match. Ireland's Stephen Hilditch sent off Vincent Moscate and Gregoire Lascube in the match against England in Paris in 1992.

The Fijians and South Africans are the only other countries to have two players sent off in the same match. And it was Irish referees who administered the sanctions in both instances. Brian Sterling sent two Fijians off the field against England in 1989 and Dave McHugh sent two South Africans off in the World Cup match against Canada in 1995. He sent a Canadian off in the same match.

The number of players countries have had sent off is: France (9); Wales (6); Argentina, Canada, Fiji (3 each); New Zealand, South Africa (2 each); and England, Ireland, Australia, Namibia, Romania, USA, USSR, and Western Samoa (1 each).