Wales v France moment of violence saw Welsh enforcer banned for record 32 weeks

There were no campaigns protesting the innocence of Wales forward Kevin Moseley after his sending off against France in the winter of 1990, unless one was launched in Pontypool that few knew about.

Nor were 5,000-name petitions handed in to the Five Nations committee back then.

But there was plenty of surprise and disquiet when the disciplinary panel that dealt with Moseley’s case handed him a 32-week suspension. The then Pontypool player later called the sanction “pathetic” and “criminal”.

Where do we start?

Perhaps by coming up with a statement of the obvious, that rugby was a different world in those days and one where pretty much anything went on the pitch short of use of bludgeons and leadpiping.

Never mind being suspended, New Zealand’s Wayne Shelford hadn’t even been sent off 30 months earlier after he’d blindsided Wales lock Huw Richards with a vicious punch in a World Cup semi-final. Shelford played in the final six days later.

Let’s return to Moseley, 6ft 6in, 19st 1lb and nicknamed Boris after the actor Boris Karloff. Legendary Pontypool coach Ray Prosser handed him the title because of his stature and the scar on his cheek the lock received in an unprovoked pub glassing.

The potential for trouble against Les Bleus 32 winters ago had brewed before the match when Moseley and two other Wales players, Mark Jones and Andy Allen, had apparently discussed how to counter the French, who had a reputation for being anything but shrinking violets.

There wasn’t anything too scientific involved.

Moseley has since told WalesOnline in an evocative interview : “Everyone was going on about the French team being super-tough and how good a player Olivier Roumat was in their pack.

“Andy, Jonesy and myself were fed up hearing