First Minister Carwyn Jones joined the throng and the scenes in the streets of Cardiff, and then inside the stadium, were akin to the Grand Slam days of 2005 and 2008. But Welsh dreams were dashed in the end with France holding on to win 9-8.

"The sending off changed the game and seemed a bit harsh to me. But the 14 other Welsh players stuck manfully to their dark and, had we put over our kicks, we could have won the game and reached the final," said the First Minister.

"But I'm still very proud of the way the team played and they have been a credit to Wales throughout this tournament. It was great being at the Millennium Stadium with the rest of the Welsh fans and I doubt any other rugby nation could have replicated the atmosphere that was created."

No sooner had the game kicked off, and Wales taken the lead with a sixth minute penalty from James Hook, than Welsh hopes were dealt a bitter blow with the controversial sending-off of the Wales captain Sam Warburton.

Referee Alain Rolland issued the red card for a dangerous tackle on Vincent Clerc at the tail of a line-out in the 18th minute. Warburton caught him legally around the legs, but then lifted him high and dumped him on the ground.

He became the second Welsh player to be sent-off in the Rugby World Cup and the first, Huw Richards, was also dismissed in a semi-final against New Zealand in 1987. The decision by the Irish official left Wales facing threequarters of the game without a key man, but to a man the men in red believed they could still reach the final.

There was a Herculean effort from everyone and, even though Morgan Parra made it 6-3 to the French at half-time with two penalties, and then added a third 10 minutes into the second half, Wales kept playing the rugby and looking for the points to take them to victory.

France kept kicking deep and pressurising the Welsh scrum and line-out, but there was no stopping Mike Phillips as he dummied his way past the French cover after great driving play from the Dragons pair of Luke Charteris and man of the match Toby Faletau.

Stephen Jones scraped the post with his conversion attempt - he had replaced Hook five minutes into the second half - leaving Wales a single point behind. Leigh Halfpenny was the next to have a shot for glory with a 74th minute penalty from half-way.

The Blues full back gave it a thump, but the ball went six inches under the cross-bar and the French heaved a heavy sigh of relief. Wales went through 25 phases in a heart stopping finale, but couldn't find a way through the

Wales missed 11 points in kick on a wet and miserable night in Auckland and they will return to Eden Park next week to play in the Bronze Final against either Australia or New Zealand.