Rugby: Wales captain cool about red-carding ref from World Cup

Wales captain Sam Warburton was sent off by Alain Rolland in 2011 for a high tackle against France. Photo / Greg Bowker

Wales coach Warren Gatland may take a different view, but Sam Warburton is not concerned about Alain Rolland refereeing Wales for the first time in a major international since he sent off the captain in the 2011 Rugby World Cup semifinal against France.

"I only realised he was refereeing yesterday," said Warburton at the naming of the side to play South Africa. "It won't have any bearing on how I behave. I met Alain during the last Six Nations. He came into the changing room before the Italy match - he was on the touch - and I said 'hello' and shook his hand. I've never spoken to him about it and I don't think I ever will either."

It's been reported Gatland won't attend the traditional pre-test meeting with Rolland this week but, as Warburton explained, the coach was going to an International Rugby Board meeting talking about referees.

"He's going to find out what the refs are looking for," he explained. "I guess because he has gone to that, [meeting Rolland] is less important."

Warburton was in jocular mood talking about the infamous tip tackle on Vincent Clerc that earned him an 18th-minute red card, a three-match ban, and was a major factor in Wales' 9-8 defeat. Asked for his thoughts on it now, he quipped: "My head was on the wrong side. It should've been a left-shoulder tackle not right shoulder. It comes up sometimes while I'm shopping, someone will shout 'It was never a red card' from another aisle.

"I joke about it now, saying it was a PR stunt because nobody knew who I was then and I guess it has put me on the map."

The winning Lions captain is reinstalled as Wales captain after starting the final two matches of last season's Six Nations in the ranks. And Wales hand a debut to 21-year-old Ospreys wing Eli Walker in the absence of the injured Alex Cuthbert.

"I'm really excited for him," said Warburton of Walker. "He's an immense talent, exceptionally quick. We only need to give him a little bit of space and he can score."

Scott Williams replaces the injured Jamie Roberts and Rhys Priestland returns at first five-eighths after missing all of the Six Nations. Bradley Davies partners Alun Wyn Jones at lock, while Lions flanker Dan Lydiate is selected having missed all of Wales' tests last season through injury.

Wales have beaten South Africa only once and have lost to Australia, their other main opponents (they also play Argentina and Tonga), in their past eight encounters. Because of that, Warburton admitted that after the Welsh-laden Lions triumph, they now had to overcome a significant mental hurdle.

"Until you've done it in a Welsh shirt, it won't be the same. I think the Welsh players can take massive confidence from the Lions. But until we beat a Southern Hemisphere side, we can't call ourselves contenders for the World Cup."

Maybe surprisingly, Warburton was delighted with England's victory over Australia. "You get some diehard Welsh fans who are disappointed," he said, "but I'm really happy because I want the Northern Hemisphere to become dominant, not just Wales."

But still Warburton, who was yesterday named international player of the year by French rugby magazine Midi Olympique, is confident of victory over South Africa.

"All 23 boys expect to win on Saturday," he said. "There won't be massive celebrations if we do, because we feel we're good enough and that's what should be expected of us."