Sam Cane gives colourful interview after Rugby World Cup final red card

South Africa win the 2023 Rugby World Cup

New Zealand star Sam Cane gave an X-rated interview after being sent off in the Rugby World Cup final. The All Blacks captain was shown a red card upon review in just the 29th minute, with South Africa going on to triumph thanks to their numerical advantage.

Cane was initially shown a yellow card by referee Wayne Barnes for a high tackle on South Africa’s Jesse Kriel. The 31-year-old became the first men’s player to be sent off in a Rugby World Cup final.

And Cane admitted that there were “s*** emotions” in a raw interview after the match, which South Africa won 12-11. The flanker hailed his team-mates for battling on with 14 men.

“Obviously so many s*** emotions, on a personal level and on behalf of the team,” Cane reflected. “Mixed in [the dressing room] is a heck of a lot of pride with the way the boys fought out there tonight, gave ourselves an opportunity. They’re just a bunch of warriors.”

READ MORE: Referee sparks New Zealand fury as media take digs at South Africa[UPDATES]

Asked if he felt he was unfortunate to see red, Cane admitted that he was not but was ‘surprised’ by Kriel turning in his direction. He observed: “Not unlucky. We know that collisions need to be low. If anything, I got caught a bit surprised that [Kriel] stepped back in my direction. It’s no excuse. We’ve been here for two months and we’ve seen how things have been ruled. Hugely disappointed.

“So gutted. So proud of how far we’ve come. It hurts so much to fall at the final hurdle and probably the style that we did.”

Cane’s red card has split opinion among fans and former players. Ex-All Black Israel Dagg accused referee Barnes and TMO Tom Foley of “overshadowing” the final.

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But Cane insisted: “I’m not here to discuss whether it was right or wrong. It can’t be changed. It’s something unfortunately I am going to have to live with forever.

“It’s actually hard to find the words to explain it. It’s hard because you are feeling so much hurt but at the same time you are so proud of the group in how they fought back.

“We really gave ourselves a good shot of winning that game. I think it speaks volumes of the group as a whole. They are a fantastic group of men who care so much about playing for the All Blacks and making New Zealand proud. There’s a lot of heartbreak in the sheds right now. It’s hard.”

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