French coach past caring about the spectacle but credits victory to a good guardian angel

It WAS a scrappy game scarred by controversy and a result unpopular with rugby purists, but French coach Marc Lievremont could hardly have been happier after his team held off Wales yesterday to reach their third World Cup final.

“I don’t care whether it was a good match, or whether anyone thinks Wales deserve to be in the final or not,” said Lievremont, pictured. “We are in the final and that is all that counts, so don’t be too enthusiastic about it,” he quipped to reporters.

Acknowledging the Welsh performance which pushed France all the way, Lievremont said: “We need to pay tribute to the Welsh team who played 14 against 15 for almost the whole match.

“They have been extraordinarily brave but the French have a good guardian angel.”

Irish referee Alain Rolland came under immediate fire for his sending-off of Warburton, with first media commentators and then the Welsh management criticising the decision.

Lievremont agreed the dismissal, for Warburton’s illegal lifting of France winger Vincent Clerc, had been a pity as it harmed the spectacle, but said that Rolland had had no choice.

“It was quite disappointing in a semi-final that the match was unbalanced so quickly,” he said. “But you’ve seen the tackle…it was a dangerous tackle and deserved a red card.”

Wales defensive coach Shaun Edwards was fuming about the decision but said there was little point in complaining.

“I think it’s a travesty for the competition because the team that should be playing next Sunday isn’t. (But) in times like this it’s important to keep your dignity and not to say what you think,” he said.

Lievremont said that, strangely, the sending off had hurt the French too. “Maybe because we were playing against 14 men it made us more nervous too.”

French captain Thierry Dusautoir agreed. “At halftime I told the guys we have to control the game,” he said. “Because even if it was the Welsh with 14 players, we had the feeling that it was us with 14.

“Paradoxically it put us in some trouble. We needed to calm ourselves down and be more serene.”

Lievremont chipped in: “That means our team has a lot of strength and character and deserves to be the world champions.”

The coach said he would watch the second semi-final between New Zealand and Australia and that he would prefer to face the hosts in next Sunday’s final.

“I will enjoy watching that match,” he smiled. “It is going to be tremendous. In our wildest dreams we imagined playing New Zealand in the final. I’ve always liked the All Blacks and I will always support them – unless we have to play against them next Sunday.”

France lost the 1987 World Cup final to New Zealand and came up short against Australia in 1999.

Lievremont smiled when asked if it would be a case of third time lucky for the French.

“I am not really superstitious,” he said. “But we have had a very narrow escape and we are here in the final.

“We have to believe in ourselves and the fate of this team. We are going to prepare for the final and enjoy it as much as possible – we know we are extremely privileged.”