Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: Frederic Michalak crazy spear tackle in the Top 14

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Frederic Michalak crazy spear tackle in the Top 14

Toulouse flyhalf Frederic Michalak had another eventful evening on Friday when his side scraped to a narrow 18-12 win over Bourgoin in the Top 14.

In appaling conditions, the game was full of kicking and there was only a point seperating the two sides at halftime. The visitors came away with the win though in a closely fought match.

With twenty minutes to go Michalak put in a crazy tackle on Bourgoin scrum half Mickael Forest.

He was yellow carded by the referee, with it being deemed as a dangerous spear tackle as we saw Forest being tossed onto the back of his head.

Michalak got down nice and low to effect the tackle, but picking him up into a spear position, then dropping him, deserves nothing less than a yellow. Poor technique unfortunately, but just another eventful weekend for Freddie.

Time: 02:09

That is a crazy tackle! Should have been red if you ask me. He gets low, drives the player upwards, and then throws the other guy on the ground. But since the other guy was offside, he got away with just a yellow...

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 1:48 pm
The scrummy was not offside since the ball has been touched by a Toulouse back. Should have been red card anyway.

By Eric, at November 25, 2008 2:09 pm
poor technique and dangerous.
Could have been red if michalak was as powerful as a forward :)

By Flooz, at November 25, 2008 3:07 pm
good form till he got him up... i have no clue why he wouldn't just follow through and dump hum on his back while driving his shoulder into the 9's ribs, woulda hurt the other guy more and it is really rewarding. hurt as in winded him maybe break a rib, but not a neck

Feetham

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 3:38 pm
what an idiot. he was in a great position to hammer the guy anyway...a professional rugby player should know that throwing somebody on their head will probobly not end well for either party. i hope he gets suspended in addition to the yellow.

By kevinb, at November 25, 2008 3:52 pm
That would have been an awesome tackle if he'd put in some leg drive. Instead it was straight up and down, which leaves the opposition on the front foot and looks terrible.

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 4:28 pm
He didn't learn that from us! The Sharks haven't been guilty of a spear tackle since we ditched Paddy Power.

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 5:02 pm
definit red card poor refering

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 5:28 pm
Damn. Fred, what did the guys from SA taught you?

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 5:45 pm
Red card.

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 5:49 pm
Every friday I watch Top14 matches in Eurosport2 and I must sayr that the level of refering is very low. This is just an example...

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 6:15 pm
Definately a card probably a suspension... But is it me or the tackled guy acted like a football player?

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 6:23 pm
No Eric it definetely isn't just you. But in fairness he has just been tossed onto his head so it probably did hurt. And he's a scrum half... ;)

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 7:12 pm
it's funny to see this comment's from guys like "ERIC" saying he act like a football player!! are u retarded or what? he didn't act at all.. he just stayed on the floor after he landed on his neck... get it?!?! poor ref!!

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 7:21 pm
looks like michalak was surprised that he got him up as high as he did. he's probably more used to falling backwards as he tackles. Indeed a back rower would have driven him back 10 meters in that position.

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 7:27 pm
Well, if he was in the RWC and from a second tier nation, he'd have gotten a red and another 5 or more weeks. But he's not, so not even a red.

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 7:36 pm
im the best at doing them wooohooo

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 8:09 pm
i hve seen much worse, just stupid.

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 8:21 pm
really should of been a red card he new what he was doing when he let go..

By Anonymous, at November 25, 2008 11:56 pm
Looks like here he simply used the wrong shoulder here.

He was moving diagonally across the players direction of momentum, hit with the wrong shoulder, consequently gets his head on wrong side too.

As he steps up and diagonally left & forward out of squat position, it drives the 9 into a cartwheel to the right.

Suprising as Michalak is generally excellent in the tackle, very strong despite his scrawny appearance.

But here, its the wrong angle, wrong shoulder, he didn't hold, didn't follow through..

It's nearly like halfways through the motion, he realises his setup and technique is all wrong, and he walks away from the whole movement, leaving the player crashing on his head!

Very complacent, in these times players should be shown a red for that behaviour.

Strange times for FM, heres hoping he gets back to his creative best soon

By kingis, at November 26, 2008 12:25 am
that was soft, let play go on

By Anonymous, at November 26, 2008 12:37 am
yup spear = yellow in my opinion, if just surprised freddie made a tackle!

By Anonymous, at November 26, 2008 1:13 am
really wasn't that bad - the guy hits his shoulder not his head

the tackled player deserves an acting award - pretty soft really

but still a yellow for dangerous

By Anonymous, at November 26, 2008 1:26 am
It had been a red card for any player but a Toulouse one. Especially but Michalak. Note the most hated referee in France : M. Mené, who always thought he was god on the field but had a poor refereing level, he should retire next month, we all pray for that.

By Anonymous, at November 26, 2008 8:08 am
I can't beleive anyone is saying yellow here. Red no question and a ban I'd say. The guy could have died. There's no use saying 'it's a physical game', if you can't play it without the danger of killing someone then it's Michalak's problem.

By Anonymous, at November 26, 2008 6:43 pm
lucky bastard got off with a yellow

By Don, at November 26, 2008 7:59 pm
Very lucky not to get a red he should get a ban for his troubles to. michalak is a shadow of the player he was

By Anonymous, at November 26, 2008 8:52 pm
I can see why it was a yellow but come on he didn't land on his head he can't have been hurt that badly by that tackle

By Craig Moorhead, at November 27, 2008 4:56 am
I would have given a red card too...but I was quite stunned to see that Michalak deliberately missed a conversion in the last minute of the game to excuse his speartackle and give Bourgoin the defensive bonuspoint. Very nice gesture of sportsmanship...

By Anonymous, at November 27, 2008 2:40 pm
It does'nt matter if the person is injured in the tackle or not, its the potential of the tackle to cause injury that determines the dangerousness of it. No real malice i don't think,yellows a good call.

By Anonymous, at December 01, 2008 7:09 pm