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'I lost my head,' admits France lock after red card

Paris - France lock Sebastien Vahaamahina made a tearful confession to teammates after his Rugby World Cup red card cost his side a place in the semi-finals, admitting: "I lost my head".

Vahaamahina was dismissed in the 49th minute for elbowing Wales' flanker Aaron Wainwright in the 20-19 quarter-final defeat in Oita.

At the time, the French were nine points ahead and seemingly in control of the game.

In a video posted on French broadcaster TF1's website, Vahaamahina emotionally spoke to his team-mates in the changing room post-match.

"I think I completely lost my head. It's difficult," Vahaamahina said holding back tears.

"Frankly it's indefensible...you're one hell of a generation of players," he added.

The second-row referred to youngsters among the squad including Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack and Gregory Alldritt who have yet to play more than 20 Tests each.

After the game, captain Guilhem Guirado and the most-experienced member of the squad Louis Picamoles announced their retirements from international rugby.

Wales face South Africa in next Sunday's semi-final after two-time reigning champions New Zealand play England a day earlier.

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