As much respect as we have for Brian Lima for being the only man to ever appear at five World Cups, he lost the plot on sunday.
The man who demolished Derick Hougaard four years ago came on to make history against the Springboks. After being on the field for 3 mins, there was a bit of poetic justice as he attempted an outrageous tackle on flyhalf Andre Pretorious that was not only late, but very high.
The big Samoan veteran knocked himself out instantly. Pretorious miraculously got up, with his head still connected to the rest of his body and probably breathing a sigh of relief after seeing the Chiropractor coming off second best.
In my opinion Lima got what he deserved. This tackle was totally illegal and on another day could have caused serious injury to the opposition. If it were a little lower and earlier it would have been perfectly legal and added to his legendary status. But it wasn't.
The question now is if he'll get the opportunity to redeem himself through the rest of the tournament. A concussion is not to be treated lightly, and with the group games still to be played, it would be tragic for the Samoans to be without him. Perhaps it will be safer for the other teams though, as Derick Hougaard will testify to.
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