Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: Jean De Villiers smashed by Benoit August in Heineken Cup Semi-Final

Friday, May 07, 2010

Jean De Villiers smashed by Benoit August in Heineken Cup Semi-Final

As we head into the weekend there’s still a few clips that I’d like to get up on RD before the end of the day. The Super 14 Pick of the Week for one, but if things take too long, that will carry over to be combined with the next round. This clip however is of an outstanding hit from last weekend, so needs to be shared now.

It comes from the Heineken Cup semi final between Biarritz and Munster that saw the Munstermen sent packing as the home side took the match 18-7, progressing to the final where they will face Toulouse, who themselves beat Leinster 26-16.

Biarritz hooker Benoit August put the hit in on Munster and Springbok centre Jean De Villiers as he handled the ball for the second time in the movement before August smoked him.

It started with De Villiers making a trademark intercept, but ended with him questioning if his ribs were still in tact. A few questioned if August was not possibly offside at the time, but it was open play and advantage was being played, so the ref had no problems with it.

De Villiers, who will return to South Africa to aim towards the 2011 World Cup, has said that he’s loved the northern hemisphere experience, and would advise youngsters to do the same if they get the chance.

"I would make the same decision all over again. In fact, I would definitely advise any youngster back home to do it if they get the opportunity, because that is what rugby provides you with. It's the chance to play abroad, live in a different country and travel the world: it's been fantastic for me," said De Villiers, who believes he’s a better player now.

"I started off slowly with them and then got a good kick in the butt. You learn from that and I felt that afterwards, it really went well. I scored a couple of tries and was pretty happy with my performances from December onwards."

Regarding the French, De Villiers says that they’re in a great position right now.

"With two French teams in the Heineken Cup final, one in the Amlin Challenge final and a French Grand Slam this winter, this is a siren signal for world rugby about their strength. They are really strong at the moment.

"The quality of players they have and the fact that they are selecting the right players with great variety, makes them very dangerous," he added.

first!

what are munster players complaining about there was absolutely nothing wrong with that tackle, it wasn't even close to being wrong.
biarittz should have had a penalty cause munster were being twats and telling the ref what to do!

By mat, at May 07, 2010 10:50 am
BOOM sweet hit. Big boys colliding, love it.

By Scotsdale, at May 07, 2010 10:53 am
Yeah its a fair tackle but in no way should it have been a penalty the other way!! Players talk back more than that all the time and nothin is done. They were sayin about a knock on from a biarittz player just!
@Mat r u english??

By Anonymous, at May 07, 2010 10:54 am
It wasn't a penalty the other way, it was a scrum to Munster. The commentator (Fabien Galthié) thinks August was offside but he wasn't; there was no ruck. The ref was playing advantage after a knock on by Biarritz (from the high ball) when JdeV was smashed by August.

By Disco, at May 07, 2010 11:17 am
Late tackle after whistle.

By Anonymous, at May 07, 2010 11:52 am
There was a ruck! For me is offside because:

August was surely offside from the ruck after JDV intercept (0:13), you can clearly see August is still in the scrum at 0:14; then O'Leary kicks and the teams go in open play.

I really don't know if August's initial offside position is "rectified" just because after a ruck they were in open play!
He always have been in front of the ball!
In my opinion it's offside and he should have returned behind the ball and then play.

Can someone explain me this?

By Madflyhalf, at May 07, 2010 11:59 am
To madflyhalf,

In the previous ruck he was offside (when JDV intercepted). He however came back onside from that ruck (the offline line still stays where the ruck was formed) before making the hit. JDV handled the ball a second time in front of the first ruck.

By Anonymous, at May 07, 2010 12:19 pm
Anonymous (two up), what whistle?? F*ck me some people are stupid. :)

Excellent hit. Not offside. He wasn't offside initially because he had absolutely nothing to do with anything, as with other players too.

By Benson, at May 07, 2010 12:19 pm
Haha, great tackle.

By Pitseleh, at May 07, 2010 12:33 pm
great tackle
good refree!
Love the game

By Geoff', at May 07, 2010 1:04 pm
not really impressive

By Unknown, at May 07, 2010 1:32 pm
^ shame, munster fan sweetheart? :)

By Impressed, at May 07, 2010 1:50 pm
No offside because no ruck!!!
Very big tackle!!! Wawwwwwwwww!

By Unknown, at May 07, 2010 2:46 pm
people only see (or hear in the case of the idiot a couple of posts above) what they want to see thats the problem. Nothing wrong with anything. great game in all and happy munster lost they for some reason think they are GOD´s and should win the Heninken cup just be entering it. You should of seen the scum supporting Munster wish people to die because they got a kick or made a tackle was discrasful

By Unknown, at May 07, 2010 3:06 pm
oooooo, Mangez!

By cp85, at May 07, 2010 3:24 pm
Whatever, Munster were cack. The Irish teams are declining...

By Anonymous, at May 07, 2010 4:22 pm
This is a bit of a grey area for me, but was he not offside because one of his teammates knocked it on, and he was ahead of that, meaning that he was then considered offside? For example, if someone knocks it on and a teammate who is ahead of the knock-on runs back and catches it gives away a penalty for being offside. So why was it different here? Do you not have to go back and get onside after a knock-on by a teammate?

By Kearney for tests, at May 07, 2010 4:29 pm
forget all this nonsense guys; if only this guy could scrummage in any way at all, we would be saying who is John Hayes!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLRlqrD5-zk

It might as well have been just a jersey or an empty plastic bag he was moving lol

One word - Immense

By Kenny, at May 07, 2010 5:04 pm
wow sweet hit!

By Anonymous, at May 07, 2010 5:25 pm
"what are munster players complaining about there was absolutely nothing wrong with that tackle, it wasn't even close to being wrong.
biarittz should have had a penalty cause munster were being twats and telling the ref what to do!"

You can hear O' Gara saying "is that not offside?" The commentator also thinks this. Ref responded. O' Gara didn't continue.

Please stop being biased.

Also, great hit. And de Villiers was one of the best players that day.

By Anonymous, at May 07, 2010 6:16 pm
"You should of seen the scum supporting Munster wish people to die because they got a kick or made a tackle was discrasful."

Munster fans are the most pleasant fans I have met (not a Munster fan).

I don't see why people are so against Ireland and Irish teams on this site.

By Anonymous, at May 07, 2010 6:19 pm
no i'm Welsh, the penalty to biarittz suggestion was just a joke,
but i really dont like players, particularly influential ones, M.Jonno, POC, BOD, Austin Healy ect pushing the ref into making decisions.
it's nothing like football and lets keep it that way!

By mat, at May 07, 2010 6:40 pm
Chill out people. Nothing wrong with irish teams. I personnally like them better than a roastbeef team.

(no offense meant... from a frogg!)

By Yannoche, at May 07, 2010 7:50 pm
Easy to smash a guy when you are standing that far offside

By Anonymous, at May 07, 2010 8:08 pm
Unfortunately we can not see the comments and the replay until the
end. The slow motion shows clearly that there is no ruck. Fabien Galthie apologized. He even congratulated the referee at the end of the comment.

By Anonymous, at May 07, 2010 8:12 pm
Easy to make stupid comments like that when you're viewing it with tinted glasses.

By Bosh, at May 07, 2010 8:51 pm
not really that impressive. i get hit like that all the time and don't get up.

By Anonymous, at May 07, 2010 9:25 pm
"Easy to smash a guy when you are standing that far offside"

One more time :
No ruck = no offside

If you can't understand this simple thing you'd better try another sport.

By Pims, at May 08, 2010 1:10 am
WTF, that shouldnt happen to a bok, they must have cheated, cos thats illegal to do to a bok, only boks are allowed to smash people!!!!

By Anonymous, at May 08, 2010 5:12 am
The ref was playing advantage after a KNOCK ON by Biarritz mmmmh OFFSIDE ..... what this no ruck talk . If you knock on the ball your players can't pickup the ball if they are infront of you. We agree yes, so you can't smash a player when you are infront of the player that knock the ball. Do you want a picture?

By Anonymous, at May 08, 2010 10:55 am
im a munster fan and i loved that!!!! nothing like seeing a bok get sat on his arse!

By Anonymous, at May 08, 2010 9:19 pm
"no ruck = no offside"

thats a very inaccurate summary of the laws of the game concerning offside. i'm not a ref or any kind of expert but offside occurs in more situations than dealing with rucks and set pieces.

if in catching the high ball, it was a munster player who caught/swatted the ball back then its open play and there is no offsied line. however the ball was knoced forward by a biaritz player. biaritz played the ball last in a manner which created an offside line. the biaritz hooker was in front of the player and thus offside.

that they went back for the knock on shows that the ref acknowledges the players actions and compounds the mistake.

if the ref concluded (incorrectly) that munster knocked the ball back and let play continue on, then that is the ref making a mistake that anyone can make playing under the mantra of "whistle what you see". but the ref knew about the knock on, yet allowed the off side play to happen. mistake in understanding the law is much worse than not seeing something in my opinion.

By miguel, at May 09, 2010 2:29 am
look to the ending of the chiefs v sharks in this year super 14. (it was either this game or the hurricanes). i believe the situation was the following.

time up, scrum sharks win, passed back, knocked on by recieving player, player in front pick up and kicks ball dead, however in the action, was penalized for being offside, chiefs slot winning penalty.

if an act creates an offside line than youre subject to penalty if youre offside.

By miguel, at May 09, 2010 2:32 am
Irish teams are as good as last year... problem is the French teams are going up a gear... they do love their rugby though!!

By Anonymous, at May 09, 2010 6:42 pm
il n'y as pas hors jeu car si vous regardez bien il n'y as pas de ruck le ballon est contré pas deux biarrot puis le neuf prend le ballon est ecarte!!

By Unknown, at May 03, 2011 4:59 pm
people only see (or hear in the case of the idiot a couple of posts above) what they want to see thats the problem. Nothing wrong with anything. great game in all and happy munster lost they for some reason think they are GOD´s and should win the Heninken cup just be entering it. You should of seen the scum supporting Munster wish people to die because they got a kick or made a tackle was discrasful

How fucking dare u call munster fans scum just because english sides have gotten shitter and shitter and irish sides are beating you left right and centre
People that talk about other people like that are usually scumbags themselves so shut the fuck up u prick

By Anonymous, at July 16, 2011 4:30 pm
In my opinion the ref called it right
on the pitch tackles look worse to the players than people sitting at home as there are more camera angles on tv
also biarritz should have been awarded a penalty for giving out

By MUNSTERdan, at July 16, 2011 4:33 pm
i am very upset with some of the english club supporters who have started bad mouthing irish teams just because english club rugby is gone shit
i have been in numerus comment rooms on rugby and read in rugbyworld magazine and everytime anything to do with irish rugby is mentioned there are many negative comments
for example in the august rugbyworldmagazine people were complaining about the 2013 hc final being in the aviva stadium in ireland
i know the barcalona stadium would have been bigger but it doesnt seem fair to be holding the final in a country without a team in the comp.

By MUNSTERdan, at July 16, 2011 4:40 pm