Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: George Smith's rib breaking tackle on Andy Ellis

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

George Smith's rib breaking tackle on Andy Ellis

Since the weekend I've received a few emails from guys wanting to see how New Zealands's number nine Andy Ellis bruised his ribs in the epic Wallabies vs All Blacks test in Sydney.

The injury actually occurred in the first half when in form Wallaby flanker George Smith put in a crunching hit on Ellis as he made a little break after some nice play. To make matters worse, big Rocky Elsom sandwiched him from the other side. A scrum half stuck between two powerful loosies is not a pretty sight. Well, maybe for some.

Not for Ellis, but he did continue besides looking laboured, and got himself a nice try early in the second half before being taken off to stick an ice pack on those aching ribs.

Replacement Jimmy Cowan came on and also ended up injuring himself, resulting in the All Blacks now having two battered halfbacks leading up to the next test at Eden Park.

A trim looking Piri Weepu has since been called up as backup, and will be determined to make an impact if his services are required.

UPDATE: This video has been removed by Mediazone. Apologies from our side.

Time: 02:21

bring back weepu.

By Anonymous, at July 29, 2008 2:25 pm
that is rough !

By sebastian, at July 29, 2008 2:27 pm
christ....

us no.9s arent made to make charging runs like that haha

By Anonymous, at July 29, 2008 2:49 pm
As a neutral I was quite pleased when he went off. I wanted to see the NZ backline firing but his distribution was so slow that that just couldn't happen. If Carter wasn't the mercurial ball-handler he was he'd have been flattened several times in back play, as many of the first receivers from rucks and mauls were.

By Anonymous, at July 29, 2008 3:11 pm
The last replays make justice on that hit! Poor ellis

By Anonymous, at July 29, 2008 4:30 pm
Nice tackle by Smith. Nothing on Berrick Barnes' blindside hit on Ma'a Nonu just before Muliaina's try. Damn near cut him in half.

By lachlan, at July 29, 2008 4:32 pm
Man what a tackle! One of those that you'd normally forget about cos it wasn't spectacular, but the effectiveness made up for it tenfold!

Barnes' tackle was good, but they didn't show a proper replay of it on the day unfortunately I think. Also, that took down Nonu's legs I think, so it's pretty different. Both were technically perfect though. :)

By Anonymous, at July 29, 2008 10:11 pm
RD

can we please get Lote Tuqiris tackle in the opening minutes it was a cracker though i didnt see who it was on please!!

George Smith is just as good as Richie McCaw he is a quality player and a great defender but not as good as Berrick Barnes and Matt Giteau boy those guys had a blinder huh

Cheers

By Anonymous, at July 30, 2008 1:41 am
@chazza
Watch the highlights video of the game, the Lote Tuqiri tackle is one of the first clips shown.

By lachlan, at July 30, 2008 2:56 am
geez our ball retention at the breakdown was terrible

By boomshanka, at July 30, 2008 3:49 am
hey do you reckon you could put up a compilation of hits from that game? there were a few bell-ringers

By Anonymous, at July 30, 2008 6:46 am
Niiiiice, w/ or w/out dreads, Smith has been the man for some time now... !!

By jay, at July 30, 2008 1:53 pm
OMG...I think if Elsom didn't get in the way that would have been a even more spectacular loooking tackle because Ellis would have contiued to fly backwards and been utterly engulfed by Smith's mass...

I do agree that Smith has been one of the world best flankers for quite some time now.

I wish Schalk Burger would cut his hair like Smith did...maybe he would improve like Smith did after getting rid of the doo...

By durrie, at July 31, 2008 12:43 pm
sorry lads but that is not Smith. IS the number 1, i think Sheperdson played that day with the 1. great tackle.
also i don´t like any of the srumhalves that palyed against Australia, hope to see a good performance of mr. Weepu

By Anonymous, at July 31, 2008 9:25 pm
that was smith in the no.7 jersey - it just looks like a 1. big benny robinson was wearing no.1 and clearly from the video it wasn't him. just the print on the jersey makes it look like a 1.

By Anonymous, at August 02, 2008 6:34 am
did anyone else see the huge punch at around 16 seconds in- aussie smacks sum1 at the back of the breakdown

By Anonymous, at August 05, 2008 11:02 pm
why are so many videos on RD unable to watch?

Take them off the list if they are!

By Anonymous, at November 21, 2008 2:30 am
smith putting in a cheap shot on a blonde crusaders number 9 for a change

By fsa, at October 26, 2009 7:31 am
a lot of these archive videos need to be deleted from the list as you cannot watch them

By Chris & Kylie, at June 15, 2011 6:40 am