Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Radike Samo's big hit on Bryan Habana in RWC Quarter Final
Sunday's epic quarter final between the Springboks and the Wallabies won't be forgotten in a hurry, as there was plenty to talk about. The performances of Bryce Lawrence and David Pocock are two such things. There was also the Boks' inability to take their opportunities, and then of course the massive defence from the Australians.
One of the biggest hits of the game, and the weekend, came from veteran Radike Samo. As the tournament said farewell to legendary 38 year olds Simon Shaw and Mario Ledesma, Samo has continued to keep the old boys club going, and now finds himself in a Rugby World Cup semi final.
Now 35, Samo has played all over the place, both position-wise, and globally. His career has been fascinating to follow and he's now reaching the cult hero status he first enjoyed at the Brumbies about seven years back. Against Russia he played on the wing, and last month against the All Blacks he scored a fantastic try from about sixty meters out.
This past weekend he played a fairly significant role too, as it was he who was taken down in the lineout, leading to the penalty against the Springboks that James O'Connor coolly slotted for the 11-9 lead.
His tackle on Bryan Habana earlier in the match also typified the defensive effort of the Wallabies, so many of you mentioned that you'd like to see it again. It was deemed legal, but another day he may have been in a bit of trouble for it, as Habana basically tasted shoulder-pie.
The impact was massive whichever way you see it. This coming weekend against the All Blacks he'll be a key man for the Wallabies, off the back of the scrum, in the loose, and of course, on defence.
Posted at 7:10 pm | 29 comments
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Posted in Big Hits & Dirty Play, Rugby World Cup 2011
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Viewing 29 comments
Zandberg October 12, 2011 10:24 pm
UHtiger October 12, 2011 11:27 pm
Zandberg October 13, 2011 3:21 pm
Zandberg October 13, 2011 3:24 pm
9to15 December 28, 2011 5:01 pm
Nick October 12, 2011 10:52 pm
johndoe October 12, 2011 11:09 pm
stroudos October 13, 2011 1:54 pm
Great tackle and Habana is one resilient bastard isn't he?
murph October 12, 2011 11:27 pm
If your boys have 70% possession and cannot put away an opposition than there's only one to blame and it ain't the ref.
If you all want to start talking about dirty play, why don't you go and watch Schalk's ophthalmological work on Pocock's face starting at 57:10 and lasting for about 15 seconds....
http://tinyurl.com/3le43vb
Bryce was rubbish but it was bipartisan rubbish. Learn to accept the ref's call, it's part of rugby. Otherwise go and play soccer.
i love bacon October 13, 2011 12:54 am
I imagine he was a little frustrated with Pocock there...seeing as how the whole match the Aussie 7 kept disallowing the ball to be played. There's a difference between being the first man at the tackle and therefore being able to play the ball vs. not allowing the tackled player to place it and then release it.
Either way, I think for the most part, you're right about Bryce Lawrence being equally poor for both sides - especially at the breakdown. The Boks never seemed to enter on their feet, and the Australians never seemed to let the ball be played. And Lawrence just let it all go by.
schneet May 23, 2012 2:50 pm
The break down was choas with both teams commiting various offences at ruck time but pocock was the worst by far..
With 70% possesion SA should have won the game regardless, and if they had a ref who pulled his whistle out his pocket on occasion i think they would have.
Byrces influence on the game was a bit sad but it was still an unbelievable game to watch, the austrialians defencive effect was massive, all credit to the wallabies especially pocock
You have to play to the ref even if he is having the worst game of his career, and on the day the wallabies did that better than SA
i love bacon October 13, 2011 12:46 am
After that fall by Brussow, it looks like SA's number 11 is tougher than it's number 6. ;)
And I love it when Samo makes an impact - I think everybody does. That 35-year old plays as though he were 10 years younger. He and Beau Robinson are two of the more inspirational forwards on the Wallaby side.
Colombes October 13, 2011 9:59 am
agree with i love bacon,
habana was tough during the whole match. these aussies commentators are as embarassing as christian jeanpierre of the french tv :)
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I love Bryce October 13, 2011 1:38 pm
But who's going to help us this weekend?
muscles glasses October 14, 2011 3:45 am
Chino October 15, 2011 1:22 am
katman October 17, 2011 7:51 am
Casual Observer November 01, 2011 9:14 am
Driving drunk is a strict liability offence in most jurisdictions. You got into a car drunk, regardless of your best attempt at driving, you will always be found to be guilty.
Using your arms in a tackle, can at times be physically impossible. As in physics-wise, not mere hyperbole. To compare the examples would just be stupid (did a drunk man defy physics to enter his car, hence being culpable for the death of a pedestrian?).
If Habana hadn't collapsed like he's been shot (and rightfully so, I think anybody would have by the sheer power of the tackle), I think Samo would've managed to wrap his arms around him... Not quite as clear on the laws of Rugby as I would like - the issue should be ->> If the hit comes before the arm wrap, but the arm wrap is made, is it still illegal? I doubt it. That's why his attempt justifies the seemingly pure-shoulder contact.
"Far cleaner tackles have been penalised (and carded) than this [alleged] shoulder charge". That probably just means the far cleaner tackles were wrongfully penalised and carded. Probably as a result of anti-Islander bias/past records of dirty play.
Final point - I believe everything looks more deliberate in slow-motion. You can claim too that his arms were pinned back at the 0:20 mark, but then again he was changing his direction/centre of gravity to adjust to the run of the fastest player on the field. 0:21 shows a clear grab on Habana's shorts/left glute (dirty man, that Samo). Readjusting arms in within 1 second to make a tackle and an attempted grab seems reasonable enough to me, especially if I had the guns of a professional rugby player.
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