Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: Welcome back Freddie

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Welcome back Freddie - Kefu hit on Michalak

French flyhalf Frederic Michalak had a nightmare return back to the Top 14 yesterday against Toulon, as he not only missed a handful of kicks, but took a massive knock to go with it.

Toulouse won the match 19-18 in the end, but it was no thanks to Michalak who, in his first game back after the Currie Cup win with the Sharks in South Africa, looked rusty and out of sorts.

He was booed by the fans and eventually replaced as a kicker by Gaffie Du Toit, who slotted the two kicks asked of him, bringing relief to the sell-out crowd.

Michalak, still only 26 believe it or not, showed little form or confidence as he missed kick after kick. The whistling from the crowd told the story.

"I think that's normal because I missed five or six kicks. I knew it would be a difficult match for me and I'm going to have to work more because I lacked my composure, with Byron Kelleher and with everybody," he said afterwards.

"More was expected of me but the main thing is that Toulouse won, not with my kicks but from the boot of Gaffie Du Toit," added Michalak.

So as if having a poor day with the boot isn’t enough, early in the second half we saw Toulon center Mafileo Kefu put this crunching hit in on Freddie. The pass from Kelleher wasn’t the kindest ever as Kefu, the younger brother of former Wallaby Totai, lined him up, then hit him hard.

After a fairly mediocre season with the Sharks, Michalak will now have a lot to prove at Toulouse, with the number 10 jersey already fiercely contested by Jean-Baptiste Elissalde and David Skrela.

Time: 01:33

mediocre season with sharks ?

By Anonymous, at November 16, 2008 4:19 pm
he was starting 10 for the team that won the currie cup, surely impressive.

Perhaps he was tired, jet lagged and simply hadn't trained enough with toulouse yet to play well this game. Takes time to get to know play patterns and your team mates styles.

By Unknown, at November 16, 2008 4:40 pm
I thought he was actually pretty disappointing with the Sharks. He had a good final, but wasn't the stand out player Sharks fans had expected.

There's no doubting his talent, but he looked anything but an international flyhalf all season IMO. I guess he just took a while to gel with the players around him etc.

By Anonymous, at November 16, 2008 4:49 pm
ouch

By Anonymous, at November 16, 2008 5:17 pm
Hah! Lined him up alright. Saw it coming from miles out. Have some of that.

By Anonymous, at November 16, 2008 5:52 pm
great tackle...HAHA

By Anonymous, at November 16, 2008 5:54 pm
That's what happens when the scrummhalf takes 3 steps sideways before he passes the ball! Really, it was a complete hospital pass from Kelleher and 100% his fault.

By Jonathan, at November 16, 2008 5:59 pm
exactly what i was gonna say, totally michalak's fault. hope freddie plays alot better soon, coz skrela is playing very well with toulouse at the moment

By Anonymous, at November 16, 2008 6:10 pm
I think Tefu just winded him tbh. Good hit.

By Dune, at November 16, 2008 6:54 pm
Eh...tehsniper.. it was Kelleher's fault not Michalak's...sorry if it was ambiguous.

By Jonathan, at November 16, 2008 7:52 pm
GREAT HIT!
KNOCKED HIM DOWN BOIIII!!!

By Don, at November 16, 2008 8:05 pm
That HAS to be in a TSRB!

By Anonymous, at November 16, 2008 10:37 pm
anon says:
"mediocre season with the sharks?"

Yes it was a very below average s14 season for him, the sharks made it to the s14 semi final, but got demolished by the waratahs and michalak got replaced in the first half if i remember correctly. his only good game was his first s14 one against the bulls imo.

i love how in the slow mo reply @ 0.43 sec you can see his upper body slightly keel over from where he gets smashed in the ribs. Ouch!

By Anonymous, at November 16, 2008 11:04 pm
hehe, that's" who's your daddy style"

Don't really know how good was Michalak with sharks but he seems a bit jetlagged.

Hope to see better from him next weeks in top 14 or Hcup

By Flooz, at November 17, 2008 1:03 am
use of the head on the way down?

looks intentional in slow motion

By Anonymous, at November 17, 2008 1:59 am
so thats not steve kefu? coz steve kefu is totais brother as well? there are three of them? good tackle!

By Anonymous, at November 17, 2008 5:17 am
I think Tutai have 3 or 4 brothers, Steve plays in France too, with Castres, Mafi is younger and was ProD2 champion with Dax, then went in Toulon with is mate Fotu Auelua to be ProD2 champion next year. But he desserves Top 14 level as well.

By Anonymous, at November 17, 2008 7:05 am
oo I Always doo Them Hitts For My Club

By Anonymous, at November 17, 2008 10:38 am
I agree with Jonathan. That was a 100% Hospital pass.

The tackler had him lined up for miles. The onus was on the scrum half to see that and possibly chip over or take it in.

If I was the coach I would have reamed the scrumhalf when reviewing the tapes.

Also, could it have been because Michalak & co. were not deep enough ? The pass was really flat.

By Anonymous, at November 17, 2008 9:43 pm
give this man some appreciation... he just came back from SA and you gotta agree that the playing style of the natal sharks and toulouse are kinda different...
and how can you say he had a mediocre season with the sharks? they might have been a mediocre team throughout the (second half of the) super 14 but still managed to get to the finals... and somehow they managed to win the curry cup, with michalak being responsible for their winning try against the bulls, which stressed his performance throughout the whole cup...

By Anonymous, at November 19, 2008 3:37 pm