In the past couple of weeks we’ve seen some shocking tackling, in the Super 14 particularly. I’m not sure if it’s the intensity of the tournament, the physicality of some of the players, or just plain over exuberance.
Whatever the case, there’s absolutely no place on the rugby field for a spear tackle, and most of the time, it’s landed the guilty party a suspension and somewhat of a bad reputation to go with it.
So in light of that, when I saw this fantastic hit by Greg Holmes last weekend, I figured I’d have to share it with the world. Let’s be honest, we love seeing the hard hits but when they’re dirty, it leaves a bit of a sour taste.
Reds’ prop Holmes, famed on RD for his incredible solo try against Ireland , showed us all exactly how to stick your opponent on their backside the legal way. You’ll note that halfway through his smashing of young Stormers flanker Francois Louw, Holmes gets him into the position of a typical spear tackle.
But, by controlling the tackle and driving to ground with him, as opposed to just dropping him, Holmes pulls off a one hundred percent safe, legal, and bone crunching tackle.
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