Andy, regardless of the extent of Mendes' injuries; Thatcher, with malice aforethought, set out to take another player out of the game in the most cowardly fashion imaginable. This has nothing to do with the respective toughness of the participants. Regardless of the sport or how tough it is a pre-meditated action like that cannot be tolerated. More to the point, the leniency you refer too has much to do with incompetant and weak officials, much like Dermot Gallagher.