France make example of Galthie

France, so often condemned as the wild bunch of international rugby, claimed the moral high ground on misconduct yesterday by making an example of Fabien Galthie.

As their veteran scrum half awaited today's scheduled appeal against a 10-day ban following a second yellow card in a weekend League match, French president Bernard Lapasset saved Galthie the bother by announcing that he had been dropped from Saturday's duel with Ireland in Dublin.

'We want to set an example out of respect to the other teams in the Six Nations,' said Lapasset. 'I am sure the decision we have taken reinforces the role we have in the championship.' The presidential action which, ironically, clears the way for the return of a man with a chequered disciplinary record, Philippe Carbonneau, prompts an interesting contrast in attitudes to yellow cards.

England, for example, had not the slightest hesitation yesterday in picking Danny Grewcock to lock their scrum with Martin Johnson, despite the Saracen's sin-binning against Sale on Sunday.

It was also Grewcock's second yellow of the season but he has avoided any ban. International referee Steve Lander sent him off over a punch which left Sale's Welsh flanker Rob Appleyard with 11 stitches in gashes above and below an eye.

Sale deemed the video evidence to be 'inconclusive', without backing Sarries' claim that Grewcock had been a victim of mistaken identity.