Rugby World Cup: Sam will soon bounce back, and so will we

What can you say? It was a harsh decision to send Sam Warburton off and it had massive impact on the game, but we should still have won, that's the most frustrating thing of all. The lads kept their composure magnificently, and despite only having 14 men I felt we played all the rugby.

We had the beating of the French. If Stephen Jones's conversion had been a foot the other way, if Leigh Halfpenny had found another half-metre in his long range kick, and if we could have just worked a dropped goal opportunity right at the death.

As for Sam, he was gutted but very dignified afterwards. He didn't rant or break down or anything in the changing room and fronted up with the press. He is our leader and captain, the bloke who has done more than anybody to get us this far, and we all feel desperate for him.

It was definitely a yellow card, I don't think anybody honestly doubts that, but Sam was really unlucky. The 'hit' was so sweet and well-timed and against such a light player that Vincent Clerc just went flying up into the air and backwards at a rate of knots.

If that had been, say, big Lionel Nallet or Imanol Harinordoquy coming around the side of the ruck it would have been one of those routine tackles you see 10 times every match, a big solid hit that stops an opponent in his tracks before the ball is recycled and off we go again, no dramas.

I think Sam was really surprised when the French guy went into orbit and that put Sam off balance as well and falling forward. One thing is certain. There was no malice whatsoever, anybody who knows Sam will appreciate that.

From that moment onwards it is down to the referee and how he interprets how a player comes to ground. If you drive a person to ground or help him on his way it's a red card every time, that is commonplace wherever you play and with all refs.

But it's a bit of a grey area when the tackled player is up in the air and both players are slightly off balance. That for me is what happened out there.

Sam looked in a state of shock to start with after Mr Rolland showed him red. It took a while for it to all sink in. It's an experience that could scar a lesser player and a lesser man, but Sam will be OK. He is one of the strongest players mentally I have ever known and he is only going to get better and play a bigger role in Wales rugby.

After the match it was all pretty chaotic, but I just went up to him, gave him a little tap on the head and a hug. I told him I thought it was a harsh decision. He was OK, in control, just a bit heartbroken for how it had ended for his team. I was so pleased he joined in the lap of honour to say thanks to our fans and all the spectators who cheered Wales on.

The best thing we can do now for Sam and all of us is to make sure we leave the tournament on a massive high. We have to give one final massive effort for all those fans who either turned up at the Millennium Stadium or raided their savings to come down to New Zealand to support us.

The management has given us until Monday night off and after that we must get our game heads on at training on Tuesday and show people that this Wales team are here for good.

Argentina showed us how to approach these third place play-off games four years ago. They had enjoyed a great tournament which seemed to be ending on a down note when they got beaten by South Africa in the semi-final. So what did they do? The Pumas only went out and gave probably the best performance of the entire World Cup to beat France.

That has got to be us now. Wales have got a lot of rugby left in us still. Whether it be against New Zealand or Australia, it doesn't matter. There will be a big crowd down here at Eden Park on Friday night and we are going to go out there and play some rugby, believe me.