16 Oct 2011

Gats blames ref for missing historic RWC final

11:22 am on 16 October 2011

Wales coach Warren Gatland says Irish referee Alain Rolland cost his team a place in the Rugby World Cup final.

Rolland sent off the Welsh captain Sam Warburton in Saturday night's narrow 9-8 semi-final defeat to France at Eden Park.

Gatland concedes Warburton deserved to be sinnbined for the dangerous tackle on France winger Vincent Clerc but blames the referee for his team's agonising defeat.

He says Rolland erred by issuing a red card and he's seen one or two games where the referees have been involved and haven't been consistent enough in enough areas as far as he's concerned.

Gatland says if the IRB referees boss comes out and says Rolland's made the right decision then he'll back down and say he's wrong.