Warren Gatland: 'Penalties cost Wales'

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has admitted that penalties cost his side during their Rugby World Cup quarter-final defeat to South Africa this afternoon.

Wales conceded 12 penalties throughout the 80 minutes at Twickenham, five of which were successfully kicked by Handre Pollard to gift the Springboks 15 points.

Twelve of those points came in the first half, and Gatland acknowledges that it was a costly period for his side, despite going into the break leading by one.

When asked where the match was won and lost, Gatland told Sports Mole: "If you look at some of those penalties they were pretty soft three points.

"I know they missed a couple of shots at goal but he's got Alun Wyn Jones for half a yard offside, another one for not rolling away, swimming in the lineout was one, three points.

"From our point of view, giving away those soft three points was disappointing because we'd worked so hard for the points we got ourselves."

South Africa went on to win 23-19 courtesy of a Fourie du Preez try five minutes from time.