PARIS - Former All Blacks and New Zealand's media lamented the impact of cards in Test rugby following the "heart-wrenching" 12-11 loss to South Africa in the World Cup final on Saturday.
While the Springboks were praised for clinching the Webb Ellis Cup for a fourth time by winning a tense decider in Paris, former Test stars Israel Dagg and John Kirwan were critical of officiating they believe cost the All Blacks dearly.
Dagg claimed Test rugby was being eroded as a spectacle by the increasing use of red and yellow cards for foul play and professional fouls.
The All Blacks spent the last 53 minutes reduced to 14 men after captain Sam Cane was shown red for a high tackle on Jesse Kriel.
Dagg said while the offence was serious, rugby's lawmakers needed to make post-game punishment a priority, as an on-field ruling had in this case tilted the game too far in South Africa's favour.
Dagg also said an early yellow card shown to Shannon Frizell for dropping on the legs of Bongi Mbonambi -- forcing the Springboks hooker out of the game with an injury -- was not justified.
He aimed his criticism at referee Wayne Barnes and television match official Tom Foley -- both Englishmen.
"This is our showpiece event, which has been overshadowed by a couple of people that are just taking the glory and the gloss away from the players," Dagg told Sky Sport.
"I'm honestly just fed up.... it is putting apprehension in the mind of our players.
"You can see why people switch off the game, because it's as boring as hell, because you don't have the best players out there.
"There were some contentious moments but deal with it after the game. There was no malice in (Cane's tackle) and Jesse Kriel is fine."
Media outlets also highlighted Cane's punishment as the final's key moment, with a New Zealand Herald headline calling the defeat "heart wrenching".
"It was a sad moment for the game and the World Cup because no one, presumably, wanted a red card to be the differentiator in the final," its website report said.
Kirwan hailed the riveting nature of the final, delivering praise to the Springboks and noting they had two players shown yellow cards in the second half -- captain Siya Kolisi and winger Cheslin Kolbe.
However, he believed Kolisi's head high contact offence warranted red.
"I feel like crying, because Sam Cane, that's so tough on the man," Kirwan said, adding: "I don't know why (Kolisi's yellow) wasn't elevated to a red."
Kirwan said defeat would be hard to take for the nine members of the All Blacks squad who haven't renewed their contracts so probably won't play another Test.