Jamie Roberts believes French enforcer Sebastien Vahaamahina should be in front of a criminal court after his red card in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final defeat to Wales on Sunday.
The Clermont Auvergne lock was sent off in the 49th minute by South African referee Jaco Peyper for elbowing Aaron Wainwright in the face after initially grabbing the Dragons back-rower around the neck.
Wales trailed 19-10 at half-time but capitalised on Vahaamahina's act of thuggery to win 20-19 and secure a World Cup semi-final with South Africa.
Vahaamahina will face an independent Judicial Committee chaired by Mike Hamlin (England) joined by former international players David Croft (Australia) and Leon Lloyd (England) on Thursday and can expect a lengthy ban for his actions.
But Roberts, writing his column in the Daily Telegraph, says Vahaamahina's 'embarrassing' actions belonged in a 'criminal court'.
Roberts, whose 94 Welsh caps included 10 appearances in the 2011 and '15 Rugby World Cups, said: "The red card to Sebastien Vahaamahina, of course, changed everything.
"It was an act that belongs in a criminal court, let alone in front of a rugby judiciary.
"His elbow to the head of Aaron Wainwright was embarrassing really, the type of play that belongs in the 1970s.
"That moment felt like classic France."
Fellow Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas, appearing on ITV as a pundit, was also not impressed with Vahaamahina's actions.
"That's an intentional act of violence, and there is no place for that on the rugby field," said Thomas.
"An apology to me, I'd rather you just walk off. Take that shame and walk off because you deserve the shame of it.
"It's not a very nice feeling being sent off and walking that kind of walk of shame but when you do something like that, that's so intentional, and so vicious, then you deserve all the negativity that comes with that walking off."
Vahaamahina's red card is the first in a Rugby World Cup knock-out game since Sam Warburton's against France in the 2011 semi-final.
