“We just feel like the destiny of the result was taken out of our hands with the red card,” he told a TV reporter after the 9-8 defeat.
“He’s lifted him, that’s a yellow card, but he’s not driven him into the ground. Does that mean every time there’s a tackle where you lift someone off the ground it’s a red card?
“Why spoil the semi-final with a red card? He’s not a dirty player. I’m just gutted.
“We were down to 14 but we showed great character and I’m proud of our efforts. But we can’t go to just one tournament and do well, we’ve got to kick on from here.
“I feel personally let down, I thought this team were good enough to go on and take the final but it was not to be. We just feel that ultimately the result wasn’t in our control.”
Gatland: "I feel personally let down"
WALES COACH WARREN Gatland says he feels “let down” by Irish referee Alain Rolland after his side’s controversial World Cup semi-final exit.
Rolland dismissed Gatland’s skipper Sam Warburton midway through the first half for a dump tackle on winger Vincent Clerc.
The Welsh ultimately lost out by a single point.
“We just feel like the destiny of the result was taken out of our hands with the red card,” he told a TV reporter after the 9-8 defeat.
“He’s lifted him, that’s a yellow card, but he’s not driven him into the ground. Does that mean every time there’s a tackle where you lift someone off the ground it’s a red card?
“We were down to 14 but we showed great character and I’m proud of our efforts. But we can’t go to just one tournament and do well, we’ve got to kick on from here.
“I feel personally let down, I thought this team were good enough to go on and take the final but it was not to be. We just feel that ultimately the result wasn’t in our control.”
What’s your opinion?
As it happened: Wales v France
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ITV Rugby World Cup RWC2011 Sam Warburton Seeing Red France Wales Warren Gatland