Wynne Gray: It's a sin how many sent to bin while worse offenders escape

This week, Fiji prop MaNasa Saulo was banned for 10 weeks for stomping. Photo / AP

Is this World Cup the dirtiest in its short history? Or have trigger-happy referees and their television sidekicks overstepped the mark, backed up by the judicial lieutenants monitoring the replay service?

There have been 32 players sent to the cooler after 32 games in this tournament with another eight pool matches left before the playoffs begin.

Uruguayan halfback Agustin Ormaechea is the only player marched for picking up two yellow cards against Fiji but seven players have been banned.

Three men were removed from any further RWC action although the latest, Samoan wing Alesana Tuilagi, is appealing the five-week ban he received for lifting his knee in a tackle.

It was no worse than Michael Hooper's foolish act of flying into a ruck without any arms which earned him a week off, however World Rugby officials came down much harder on Tuilagi.

This week, Fiji prop MaNasa Saulo was banned for 10 weeks for stomping while countryman Dominiko Waqaniburotu was suspended for a week for a lifting tackle, and Pumas lock Martiano Galarza was sent on his way for nine weeks for eye-gouging.

Fijian wing Nemani Nadolo sat out a week for a tip tackle, Hooper lost a week for his charge, then Tuilagi was banned before Romania's Mihai Macevei was suspended for two weeks for a dangerous tackle.

Meanwhile Ormaechea's sending off was considered sufficient while Fiji prop Campese Ma'afu received a telling off for two yellow cards and a citing commissioner's warning. Several others have received official cautions during the event.

Another incident does not appear to be resolved, or at least there has not been any public decision about the England officials who were cited for approaching match officials at halftime during their game with the Wallabies.

Quite a list, isn't it?

The tournament high for red cards came in 1995 when four players were sent off, three in the explosive match between the Springboks and Canada.

Another four got the early march in 1999 while Tonga and Canada, with three each, are the countries with the worst records.

Only three players in the list of 17 sent off in RWC history have gone during playoff matches -- Huw Richards and David Codey in 1987 and Welsh captain Sam Warburton in the 2011 semifinal.

But 32 and rising is a high number of players sent to the bin. Some offences looked innocuous while others with a more sinister tinge brought little or no rebuke.

Some great decisions have come from referees using their TV comrades, like the moment Fiji's halfback Nikola Matawalu dropped the ball when he dived for the line after a magnificent 50m run.

A warning to Tuilagi about faking a hit was another top call. Other decisions simply leave you recalling Tana Umaga's pithy "we're not playing tiddlywinks here" observation.