Former England and British & Irish Lions hooker Brian Moore admits to being puzzled by World Rugby’s disciplinary process after Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth recently received a 12-match suspension for foul play.

Etzebeth was suspended on Thursday after he was found to have ‘intentionally’ eye-gouged Wales flanker Alex Mann during a Autumn Nations Series Test in Cardiff on November 29.

The Springboks‘ most capped Test player will spend the next few months on the sidelines and miss most of the Sharks’ season after the panel deemed that he committed a mid-range offence.

Etzebeth initially received an 18-week suspension which was reduced by six weeks after factors such as his previous record were taken into consideration.

Etzebeth won’t miss any Springboks Tests

It has subsequently been revealed that the 34-year-old will take up a coaching role with the Sharks while serving his suspension, which only covers club fixtures and not any Springboks Tests.

Etzebeth’s suspension has led to widespread debate in the game with many fans believing the punishment was too light while there have also been questions over how the length of his suspension was decided.

Writing in his Telegraph column, Moore revealed that he is not “unfamiliar with the way things work” in rugby’s disciplinary process as he has served suspensions for foul play during his time as a player and also “represented a number of players as part of my law practice” after he retired as a player.

Moore admitted that despite his knowledge of rugby’s disciplinary process, he is “almost as confused as everybody else as to what level of sanction is applied to what offence” in the modern game.

The 63-year-old urged World Rugby to clarify how their disciplinary system works and revealed that “there is a widespread feeling that the bigger and better teams get favours that are denied your average player.”

Eben Etzebeth ‘devastated’ after eye-gouging ban as Sharks put Springboks lock to work

Moore also revealed that in most cases the outcomes at hearings depended on who defends the players who are facing disciplinary action.

“What is certainly true is that the ultimate outcome of a disciplinary hearing very much depends on what legal representation you can afford, which should not be a factor but undoubtedly is,” he wrote.

“It is for this reason that with any touring party or any World Cup squad, one of the most important choices is which legal counsel you take with you. The difference between an in-tournament ban of one game or three can have a very real influence on how your side fares.”

Moore also questioned Etzebeth’s defence which revealed that he had to defend himself after fearing that he would be rag-dolled by Mann and suggested that that was a bid to “to manipulate the system” from the Boks enforcer and his legal team.

“In the recent Eben Etzebeth case, a 12-week ban for gouging was handed down by a panel that included Leon Lloyd, a former professional player and a very bright man, and someone who knows how players and their representatives try to manipulate the system,” he wrote.

‘I don’t believe that Etzebeth is afraid of anybody’

“Etzebeth’s claim was that he genuinely thought that he was about to be “rag-dolled” by Wales’ Alex Mann and therefore reacted as he did. I don’t believe that Etzebeth is afraid of anybody and in a set-to between those two players there would only be one winner, and that man wouldn’t be wearing a red shirt. It is far more likely that Etzebeth was angry with the confrontation and determined to sort it out.

“This view of the offence bears out the finding that his act was intentional and Etzebeth was not acting in self-defence in any meaningful way. The vague notion of provocation was only marginally relevant, hence Etzebeth was not given the now customary discount of 50 per cent off his sentence.”

While Moore did not have a problem with Etzebeth’s previous disciplinary record being taken into account when his suspension was decided, he agrees with most fans who are unhappy that the player will not miss any Springboks matches and will now help with coaching the Sharks’ junior teams during his ban.

“Credit was rightly given for this being the first red card in Etzebeth’s 141-cap Test career, but the fact is that the ban will have no effect on his international career,” Moore added.

“What really does not sit right with most rugby fans is that Etzebeth has been able to move from being a Sharks’ player to one of their coaches whilst he is serving his ban. That sort of loophole is something that World Rugby should consider closing immediately.”

READ MORE: Eben Etzebeth fate revealed as Springboks star learns punishment for eye-gouge against Wales