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Mon 23 Oct 2017 | 09:47
Young 110kg centre demolishes flyhalf with brutal hit in the NRC

9
Comments

Round eight of Australia's National Rugby Championship came to a close with a NSW Country Eagles seven tries to three bonus point win over Melbourne Rising, moving them up to fourth on the table. The tackle of the match came late in the game, due to an unforgiving hospital pass.

Eagles number ten Tayler Adams got a ball and all pass and was well and truly cleaned up by 110kg's Melbourne Rising replacement back Angelo Leaupepe, who is just 20-years-old.

Leaupepe actually came off worse for wear, as there appeared to be some head on head contact, but as caleld by the commentators at the time, it's definitely one of the biggest hits of the season.

NRC standings after Round Eight
Bond University Queensland Country 28
Canberra Vikings 25
Fiji Airways Drua 21
Elders NSW Country Eagles 18
McInnes Wilson Lawyers Brisbane City 18
Road Safety Perth Spirit 16
Greater Sydney Rams 13
Macquarie University Sydney Rays 9
Melbourne Rising 4

credit: seanmaloney/foxsportsrugby

Posted By: Grant Constable

9 Comments

  • lewis
    5:11 PM 02/11/2017

    I think it was accidental.
    On a separate point but shown here, if you are going to go in to make a tackle that high, your face and head will be totally exposed, so accidents like this will happen.

  • 45678
    7:52 PM 26/10/2017

    Not a myth at the top levels regarding off loads - difference being players are a tad fitter and will invariably make tackles in pairs

    Also depends on whether who dominates the contact and end body position as to whether player can offload

    Offloads are surely increasing with the tackle laws being tightened?

  • heavyhooker
    12:30 PM 26/10/2017

    A hit like this? There is no way any offload would have been accomplished. This hit high to prevent offloading is a myth. If you hit properly and drive to the ground there is rarely a chance to offload.

  • luc
    11:54 PM 23/10/2017

    Yeah I agree, what's up with all the upright tackles nowadays? I can understand blocking the arms, as well as not being as interested in the legs since lifting has become riskier. But still, I figure you'd always want to hit with a lower body position than your opponent, maybe your shoulder at his elbow height for good impact, not this hug kind of position.

  • drg
    6:51 PM 23/10/2017

    No it was totally deliberate, if you pause it just right, you can even see he has a hard piece of shoulder protection that he uses as a weapon...

  • lewis
    3:23 PM 23/10/2017

    Adams is taking the ball and his shoulder moves as he bring the balls in, in my opinion he is not dropping his shoulder to deliberately hit the head. Even if he was beginning to protect himself, a tackle at that height is going to end in injuries.

  • heavyhooker
    2:44 PM 23/10/2017

    Leaupepe will do well in the professional league with the now too common upright tackle. I will bet he will be red carded pretty fast with a shoulder to the head penalty due to this technique. If there was ever a prefect play to execute a classic low body hit, this was it. Nope, the new teaching for the big players seems to be go in high. I actually thought this was going to be a head clash hit.

  • drg
    1:16 PM 23/10/2017

    Exactly, shoulder to head = red...

  • im1
    12:29 PM 23/10/2017

    if you pause it at 7 seconds you can clearly see Adams drop his right shoulder into Leaupepe's face. That should be a read card.....

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