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Thu 17 Apr 2014 | 02:10
Courtney Lawes smashes Owen Farrell with trademark hit

28
Comments

Courtney Lawes made another of his trademark crash tackles at the weekend, this time on England team mate, Owen Farrell. The Saracens flyhalf didn't return from the tunnel at halftime but has since been cleared as not having a foot injury, and will resume training this week.

Lawes flew out the line and smashed Farrell just as he passed the ball, resulting in a tough landing on the artificial pitch of Allianz Park for the smaller, but tough as nails flyhalf.

This is from the same match as the Marcelo Bosch big penalty kick (and Kelly Brown try), and it was Brown himself that was on the wrong end of another big tackle, that time by Samu Manoa. You can view that on page two, and see more big Lawes (and Manoa!) hits in the Related Posts below. 

Samu Manoa's solid tackle on Kelly Brown

Posted By: Grant Constable

28 Comments

  • danknapp
    9:04 PM 27/04/2014

    If it's 'Correct Grammar Like A Twat Day', I suppose I should point out your name should be Dave, not dave.

  • drg
    8:52 AM 23/04/2014

    Rugbyfun, whilst I respect the fact that this tackle would have been far greater had he smashed Farrell when Farrell had hold of the ball YOU have to respect the disruption that a tackle like this can cause. I don't think it's possible to tell from this video, but I myself (a second row/back row) have targeted number 10's when I've played and tackled them full on whether they have had the ball or just after they've passed it on. What this does (as someone has explained above) is cause them to doubt their field position and alter it - If you've been flattened 2 times shortly after passing the ball or with the ball, you either pass it quicker, or take the ball deeper, so it alters the opposition teams entire attacking method. That is the aftermath of a big tackle like this, the immediate outcome of a rib tickler (when the player has just passed the ball on) is that the number 10 (specifically) is left trying to get his wind back, so if there is a breakdown and another phase of play, then they have to continue WITHOUT their 10, until he is able to get back into line.

    So again, whilst we can all probably agree this tackle would be a world great had Farrell STILL had the ball, we need to all open our eyes and recognise what a tackle like this can actually mean for the rest of the game.

    ...and like I said before, it's enjoyable to watch Farrell getting smashed and hobbling about...

  • danknapp
    10:28 PM 22/04/2014

    Hard to know how best to respond to this idiotic comment. I'm going to go with:

    Watch some rugby matches that Lawes has played in.

  • cambridgeshirekid
    11:58 AM 22/04/2014

    Are you familiar with the game of rugby union?

  • drg
    10:11 PM 21/04/2014

    Watch this video then. I am no Lawes fan, but as I stated above, this tackle occurred at about 1 second at the most after the pass ON THE SLOW MOTION section of the video, so in full speed we're talking fractions of a second...

  • 3:49 AM 19/04/2014

    He's good, will be great, but if he's walking into any side in the world now, I'd imagine he'd have been at least a touring lion last summer.

  • 3:47 AM 19/04/2014

    What's your purpose on this site, to troll your tribal BS, taking pot shots at sensible people wanting to discuss some rugby?

    No matter what nationality you are your a grade A jackass.

  • vladimir
    11:13 PM 18/04/2014

    Agreed, there against Robert, Lawes is efficient as it is against a crash runner. Would the 'hit the man hard' strategy be that efficient against BOD, Smith, and other elusive players?
    Again, I do not see the point of 'hitting the man'. Disrupting yes, hitting no. One big hit is changing nothing to the game except if it breaks one or two bones of the player, whereas putting constant pressure, being a permanent threat is more efficient than any 'hit' but less impressive i reckon.

  • drg
    6:36 PM 18/04/2014

    Maybe Sebas is high...

  • drg
    6:34 PM 18/04/2014

    A Botha or Cudmore... (probably more aimed at Cudmore): Yeh.. there is nothing like having a player in your team that can consistently break records for the most red and yellow cards in a season.. useful..

  • drg
    6:33 PM 18/04/2014

    I'm with Dan on this topic, I was once a Lawes naysayer, unfortunately I didn't see enough 'international standard' playing from him (probably due to his injuries) and figured he was quite overrated by some. But he certainly stood up to the task this 6N and I think showed that not only can he play at a good standard, he also showed his ability to improve (which I am sure will continue).

  • danknapp
    3:54 PM 18/04/2014

    Samu Manoa's tackle is after the second/third pass after a breakdown, when he has had a chance to make up some distance after getting back 10. Lawes' tackle is on the first receiver. In that respect I think we can probably cut him some slack for not getting man and ball. He's had an extra five yards to make up there.

  • danknapp
    3:51 PM 18/04/2014

    *applauds*

  • danknapp
    3:49 PM 18/04/2014

    Also wondering what sebas thinks is happening in the photo at the top of the page. Pretty sure that hitting someone below their shoulder isn't a high-fucking-tackle.

  • danknapp
    3:48 PM 18/04/2014

    Maybe his internet wasn't streaming properly.

  • danknapp
    3:47 PM 18/04/2014

    Not sure about walking into EVERY team, but he'd walk into a lot of them. He's been playing really well.

    I agree with your first two sentences. I think he showed in the 6Ns that he doesn't just tackle the little guy. What I think most people miss is that the guy has such incredible linespeed that he is able to CATCH the small guys in the first place. In the past I felt this was about the only aspect of his game, but he has been much stronger against guys his own size recently. He was fantastic all 6N against players of all shapes and sizes.

  • danknapp
    3:42 PM 18/04/2014

    Hard to call him anonymous in the last 6 Nations. I've previously felt this was a valid criticism, but I think it's a bit unfair now. Yes, he can hit the little guys, but only because he's fast enough to catch them under a high ball or when the ball comes back from a breakdown.

  • fatprop
    1:50 PM 18/04/2014

    We don't really have an enforcer for my knowledge. He puts in a lot of tackles but so does Launchbury, Wood and Robshaw. The only 'Enforcer' we have would be like Carl Fearns if we decided to play him. We don't really have a Botha or Cudmore

  • fatprop
    1:47 PM 18/04/2014

    I think people are forgetting the six nations, especially against wales where Lawes was hitting Robert time and time again, so much that Roberts hardly got on the ball and when he did he just kicked it away. He doesn't just tackle the small guys but the ones where tackles the big guy is not as impressive to put in a highlight video. When you are 6 ft 7 and 118 kg I think you almost always tackling the smaller player. He is an incredible athlete who could get into MOST international teams, South Africa has Etzebeth and ? Bekker ? Du Toit ? he is better than either of those two. Ireland has O'Connell and no-one, he gets into the Ireland team easily.

  • drg
    9:12 AM 18/04/2014

    Agree, and slightly disagree, Farrell is the Saracens playmaker, and he was not up and running immediately after the tackle, so I dare say that Lawes did; somewhat, interrupt the flow of the game, but albeit the next flow - if that makes sense.

    The video doesn't show much of what happened in play after the pass, but it is safe to say that the Saracens weren't able to ruck, crash ball and reset and start again with their 10 in his channel...

    But I know what you mean regarding Betsen, McCaw etc..

  • 3:31 AM 18/04/2014

    Have to say manoa's much more impressive, on the ball carrier receiving and killing the player rather than too late to have a direct impact on the play.

    Lawyers would not walk into SA or dare I say Ire.

  • vladimir
    12:51 AM 18/04/2014

    Problem is, as impressive as they may be, Lawes' tackles on little men do not interrupt the flow of the game. He hits the player without disrupting the pass. Look at Serge Betsen, McCaw, always managing to get the man with the 10 on his back and with the ball.

  • drg
    11:11 PM 17/04/2014

    I suppose we just watched different videos, in the one I just watched Lawes hit Farrell exactly 1 second (in slow motion) after the ball was passed, so not sure how fast in full speed, and Lawes shoulder was lower than Farrells so it wasn't high..

  • drg
    11:09 PM 17/04/2014

    Who called him an 'enforcer'?

  • drg
    11:08 PM 17/04/2014

    Yes yes, ok everyone, big man on little man, little man still got ball away etc etc

    But who can honestly say they didn't enjoy watching Cocky Farrell get smashed and hobble about afterwards :D

  • fastmongrel
    9:15 PM 17/04/2014

    How many Locks would even get near a Fly Half. Lawes has got serious gas for a big fella and he has put crucial tackles on a lot of big men.

  • welshosprey
    6:41 PM 17/04/2014

    Another crunching tackle on a small back who still managed to get the ball away..

  • finedisregard
    6:03 PM 17/04/2014

    Samu Manoa is bad as hell!

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