Sam Warburton exits the field after his dismissal against France
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Paul Ackford of the Sunday Telegraph argues that if you strip away the emotion from a fabulously courageous Welsh effort, only one conclusion remains.
"Alain Rolland's decision to show Sam Warburton the red card for a tip tackle on Vincent Clerc after 17 minutes, a decision which has sparked considerable criticism and resentment from the Welsh camp, was absolutely correct.
"Law 10.4 (j) states that 'lifting a player from the ground and dropping or driving that player into the ground whilst the player's feet are still off the ground, such that the player's head and/or upper body come into contact with the ground, is dangerous play. Sanction: penalty kick.'
"You'd struggle to find a better, more accurate description of what Warburton did than that paragraph in the law book. Following a line-out won by France, the Wales captain drove up and into Clerc, using his own momentum and strength to lift and tilt the French winger to the right, beyond the horizontal, applying downward pressure for a fraction of a second before releasing him.
"Clerc landed with the base of his neck and shoulder area striking the turf simultaneously, feet still up in the air.
"Referee Rolland, a Dublin mortgage adviser when he is not antagonising the whole of Wales, got that part bang on."
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