Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: Incredible try saving tackle by Australia's Nicole Beck at the WRWC

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Incredible try saving tackle by Australia's Nicole Beck at the WRWC

The England ladies progressed to the final of the Women’s Rugby World Cup after they beat Australia 15-0 in an entertaining match at the Twickenham Stoop last night. While England celebrated the win, the moment on everyone’s mind was this outstanding cover tackle from Wallaroo winger, Nicole Beck.

It was a great defensive display from England and while they got their own back in the second half - with flanker Maggie Alphonsi looking like a young Serge Betsen as she tackled everything that moved – the hit of the first half went to Aussie Beck, who absolutely smashed flying England winger Fiona Pocock as she flew down the touchline.

Unfortunately the impact of the hit resulted in what looked like a serious knee injury for Pocock, who landed heavily as Beck put in the immense covering tackle.

The match itself had everything you’d want out of a top class semi final, as the women on display showed that their hands, physicality, and ultimately their commitment, is never in question.

For those naysayers, do yourself a favour and watch the final on Sunday. England will be up against favourites New Zealand as the two best sides in the tournament are sure to put on quite the spectacle.

Watch a replay of this match, the other semi final, match highlights, and then the live final (on Sunday at 17:15 local time) at rwcwomens.com. You can also follow the tournament updates on Twitter @rwcwomens.

Time: 01:37
Note: With thanks to the IRB

It was a great game and this tackle is just one example of the intensity both teams showed. Great game to watch and as marketing folks say surely big advertising for women's rugby.

By Anonymous, at September 02, 2010 5:50 pm
Bang!

By KrisBockting, at September 02, 2010 5:55 pm
I can't imagine the England men's team running a ball from that position! Great hands. And a smashing tackle.

By Yelrah, at September 02, 2010 5:57 pm
Bosh!

I've been impressed by the standard of women's rugby. When you look at the difference in standard between sexes in football it is huge. The Women's rugby world cup has been pretty entertaining.

By cp85, at September 02, 2010 5:58 pm
Holy Shit!!!
Great running, amazing tackle!
Great set of balls shown by both the pom and the aussie!!
Really starting to appreciate womens rugby!

Antony

By Anonymous, at September 02, 2010 6:01 pm
One hell of a tackle!

By Anonymous, at September 02, 2010 6:17 pm
Great tackle!!! though I still insist on tighter kits!!

By eric, at September 02, 2010 6:20 pm
hit of the season IMO!

Beautiful to watch and fantastic camera work all round.

By Anonymous, at September 02, 2010 6:34 pm
To those that say women's rugby is slower, softer.

I'd like to see how many of them could put a pasting like that on their male counterpart in a game.

By cheyanqui, at September 02, 2010 6:36 pm
One of the neater things about the women's game:

Compared to the men, kicking is a less attractive option than ball in hand, or passing the ball.

For those of us who yawn at scorelines divisible by three, it's a welcome change to see a team take a quick-tap PK, or a scrummage PK, rather than always looking for the radio controlled tee caddy.

By cheyanqui, at September 02, 2010 6:37 pm
England's #9 Amy Turner is the women's game's equivalent of Piri Weepu.

DISCUSS

By cheyanqui, at September 02, 2010 6:51 pm
'I can't imagine the England men's team running a ball from that position! Great hands. And a smashing tackle.'

As an england supporter...I'd have to agree....

'For those of us who yawn at scorelines divisible by three'

15 is divisible by 3....as is 21...etc.etc.etc... (3 tries, none converted or all converted...)

By Anonymous, at September 02, 2010 6:59 pm
I was watching that game live yesterday (don't tell my boss), and Pocock's run seemed off from start. She's normally much quicker than she showed here. I found it odd that she made no attempt to step the covering winger or even to brace for the hit at all. If you watch her earlier in the run, she fended the first defender and stepped the fullback completely. Does anyone know if she had perhaps already damaged the knee before this hit?

The Black Ferns still look the class of the tournament, but England might be able to slow them down enough to cause problems. I don't see the Northern girls winning it, though, the Kiwis have too much class, especially in their back three.

By Bobby Nations, at September 02, 2010 7:18 pm
The wing watched the defender close in on her and never even tried to evade her?

By Anonymous, at September 02, 2010 7:43 pm
So cool !

By Flow, at September 02, 2010 8:14 pm
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

By James, at September 02, 2010 9:04 pm
Welcome back James...I see you haven't grown up from previous threads. Can I just encouage all other users to completely ignore his comments as he is simply trying to get a rise out of people.

Awesome running by England and a massive tackle by the covering Aussie! Great WC!

By Jim, at September 02, 2010 9:24 pm
That better make it into the next trsb

By Alex Davies, at September 02, 2010 9:32 pm
What a hit !!!!!!
Plus thermes been a lot of good rugby on display by the girls out there at the womens world cup

And a couple of good looking ones to ;)

By Luxi, at September 02, 2010 9:38 pm
some of these women are really hot! the cricket was quite good too.

By Anonymous, at September 02, 2010 9:41 pm
biggest num 9 i've ever seen. even bigger than a prop i guess. urghh..

By techik, at September 02, 2010 9:50 pm
In the game versus South Africa Nicole Beck had a fantastic day with the boot; it's quite unusual to see women kicking so well, and I'm hugely pleased with the standard of the girls' game.
Australia is getting better and better every year, and England is a tremendously classy side: they have a stunning back row (Alphonsi and Fisher, IMHO, are the best flankers at the moment) and some exciting backs like Fiona Pocock and Danielle Waterman.
I'm just loving the World Cup!

By Laura Guglielmo, at September 02, 2010 10:25 pm
These are tackle situations I used to live for; where you had 'em lined up fine and dandy with no space on the outside.... and ended quite a few opponents afternoons at the park, or got noticed for select sides.

Needless to say, I was victim in a few spectacular misses when I'd encounter the odd player who you thought was going balls out and inexplicably hit an afterburner you did not know he had...

Would leave me hurtling in open space grasping air. Think "Beep!! Beep!!" and me holding a sign that says "Oops" before the inevitable crash-bang into the spectators/water gear/benches etc. on the sideline.

By EARugbyFan, at September 02, 2010 10:43 pm
"A young Serge Betsen...." well said.

By Crosser, at September 03, 2010 12:54 am
What a great bit of rugby, loving the running and that hit was massive! Strangely though, I'm a little turned on.

By Fantastic, at September 03, 2010 1:48 am
Wing cover tackle was superb - made sprinting across the field well worth the effort.

As a coach, however, you'd have to give 15 a talking-to after that attempted tackle, surely?

By Anonymous, at September 03, 2010 2:38 am
techik,

My point exactly with the "Piri Weepu"-ness of that #9.

By cheyanqui, at September 03, 2010 3:29 am
When the WRWC first video was posted here I was among the first guys to say that women's rugby was odd. But I've been watching the highlights of this World Cup and now this hit confirms it, I have to eat my words! The standard is preety good and I'd love to see that desire to play and that desire to tackle more often in the men's game!

Gotta make it to the next TSRB for sure!

By Juggernauter, at September 03, 2010 3:42 am
VAT HOM FLUFFY! ...

By Anonymous, at September 03, 2010 4:39 am
Echoing 'Anonymous' statement about the camera work. The last tournament was hosted here in Canada, with some local camera people presumably - maybe two/three angles, mostly long shots. Sky's work for this tournament has been fantastic, from camera work to commentary.

There have been some great hits in every game. Alphonsi's tackling and jackaling has been immense.

By Rob, at September 03, 2010 6:28 am
"To those that say women's rugby is slower, softer."

She clearly was slow lol

By Ryan, at September 03, 2010 9:07 am
Great hands from the England backline there.

By Anonymous, at September 03, 2010 9:32 am
Oh god, athletic women are so sexy

By Anonymous, at September 03, 2010 9:55 am
It's a quite impressive hit also because she jumped right when she get tackled...very clear on the side view

By Anonymous, at September 03, 2010 11:28 am
I wish the England gents could run the ball like that! Great speed throough the hands and a cracking tackle by the Aussie. It's a real shame, seeing all those empty seats...

By Marc, at September 03, 2010 11:40 am
Hardly 'incredible'. Quality covering no doubt - and a good hit - but it's a hit she always should have made. Pocock should have stepped inside when she saw Beck coming like a train.

By WelshWizard, at September 03, 2010 1:32 pm
Amy Turner may be a big scrumhalf (think Ricky January or Piri Weepu or that English Perry fella) but she's a great reader of the game and she has a beautiful pass both ways. Surprised she's not in better shape though.

By katman, at September 03, 2010 1:33 pm
She might be wishing for Peripheral vision this christmas.. Massive hit

By Anonymous, at September 03, 2010 3:12 pm
Wow. A bunch of 62 kg people "smashing" each other. I am really impressed.

But not really.

By WTennisfan, at September 03, 2010 3:50 pm
Amy Turner is one of those folks who are heavy in the right way on the rugby field. She doesn't have great speed in the flat, but she's deceptively quick over the first 5 meters. And, she has a very *ahem* low center of gravity that makes her difficult to bring down. If you watch the England matches where she plays, she consistently crosses the gain line around the rucks.

Katman is correct that she does have a cracking pass in both directions.

By Bobby Nations, at September 03, 2010 4:01 pm
One little mentioned benefit of watching the women is that the speed of play is slow enough that you can actually see infringements in real time. I would think that for a beginner to the sport, it would be much less confusing to learn the basics by watching these games rather than say a tri-nations game where everything happens at warp speed. Just a thought for those whose wives or girlfriends don't follow rugby yet.

By Bobby Nations, at September 03, 2010 4:03 pm
Oh god, athletic women are so sexy"

If you're an undercover homosexual maybe

By Anonymous, at September 03, 2010 4:20 pm
Chicks with Big Hits!

By Anonymous, at September 03, 2010 4:27 pm
Anon 4:20, "If you're an undercover homosexual?" Really? Or maybe you're a physically fit man who likes a partner with some strength and staying power.

Oh, I get it. REAL men like only soft women who bring beer to them in their recliner.

By Ref, at September 03, 2010 5:49 pm
girls playing rugby :S

By Miss Ogynist, at September 03, 2010 7:13 pm
Man ya gotta get the alphonsi hit vs america... massive hit

By rico, at September 03, 2010 10:47 pm
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

By Anonymous, at September 04, 2010 2:49 am
No sound, but there are two big hits for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC7gIT48qFI

By Anonymous, at September 04, 2010 3:18 am
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

By Anonymous, at September 04, 2010 8:26 am
That is a MASSIVE halfback, I'm scared. That enormous women will kill us all.

By Anonymous, at September 07, 2010 1:17 am
Must make the next TSRB vid!!! I don't care whether she should have stepped or whatever it was just a HUGE hit!!

By Ned2or3, at September 07, 2010 7:02 am