Rolland thanks Warburton for red card backing

Top referee Alain Rolland has thanked Wales captain Sam Warburton for his public backing in the wake of the World Cup sending off that derailed the Welsh challenge in New Zealand last October.

The Irish official has broken his silence on the controversy in an interview with Donal Lenihan in tomorrow’s Six Nations special in the Irish Examiner.

Rolland became Public Enemy No One in Wales after the decision to red card Warburton for a spear tackle in the World Cup semi-final against France. But the Welsh captain took the heat out of the situation and the pressure off Rolland by admitting it was the right decision.