Rugby videos of tackles, tries, funny incidents and more: Toulon's Mafileo Kefu crunches Richard Hibbard of the Ospreys

Monday, October 11, 2010

Toulon's Mafileo Kefu crunches Richard Hibbard of the Ospreys

Another hectic weekend of rugby has passed, and while the ITM Cup, Currie Cup, and European action has come to an end, the Commonwealth Games Sevens continues tomorrow morning. For now, here’s a short clip of a great hit from the Toulon vs Ospreys game. More highlights, clips, and giveaways to follow.

There’s plenty happening as we’ve got tickets giveaways, a Barbarians signed jersey up for grabs, and of course the best tries and biggest hits from the world of rugby. As an attempt is made to cover all the most watchable action from around the globe, your guidance, feedback, and patience is appreciated.

If you saw something this weekend that you think should make it onto the site, please don’t be shy. It’s not possible for yours truly to watch every single game, so there’s bound to be a few things missed. Email, the request forum, and Facebook are all good ways to leave a quick note about a specific incident that you think should be shared.

In this short clip we get to see Toulon’s midfield beast Mafileo Kefu as he puts a more than solid hit in on Ospreys hooker Richard Hibbard during the home sides 19-14 win in their Heineken Cup meeting at the Stade Mayol. Somehow Kefu managed to make the turnover too, which led to a penalty which Jonny Wilkinson kicked over from almost 50m out.

It’s just one of many big moments from the weekend. Plenty more to come from all tournaments, so keep visiting and trawl through the archives for now or use search if you’re after something in particular. Also, check out the related links for more of hard hitting Kefu.

Time: 01:01

1st, just been posted

By Anonymous, at October 11, 2010 7:23 pm
Get in there! That's a centre on a hooker. Cracking hit

By Scotsdale, at October 11, 2010 7:34 pm
I like big hits as much as the next man, but surely that was above the shoulder-line and without wrapping the arms?

Looked more like a Mungoball hit, if I'm honest. No real place for that in Union.

By Anonymous, at October 11, 2010 7:45 pm
Dangerous tackle, there's no doubt about it

By Lucius, at October 11, 2010 7:48 pm
Shoulder charge followed by a forward pass. A South African player would have received a red card and a 10 week ban.

By Anonymous, at October 11, 2010 7:57 pm
good gracious

By Anonymous, at October 11, 2010 8:21 pm
'Shoulder charge followed by a forward pass. A South African player would have received a red card and a 10 week ban.'

And the rugby world would have seen some good old fashioned justice :)

By Anonymous, at October 11, 2010 8:28 pm
I saw it differently to some of the above comments. Left arm looked good, right arm/shoulder hit, hibbard was low down leaning into it. Good tackle

By Anonymous, at October 11, 2010 8:31 pm
perfect tackle, you sissis!

By Anonymous, at October 11, 2010 8:35 pm
You dont have the highlights of all games of this 1st week on heineken cup???

By toni, at October 11, 2010 8:46 pm
cracking hit and good turnover
absolutely legal

just a shame Rouge et Noir Toulon played in a comic-strip-like blue jersey :/

By Luxi, at October 11, 2010 8:54 pm
Toni, do you see them?

By Greiffel, at October 11, 2010 9:02 pm
tackle was high, shoulder/upper arm right to the face. i'm glad you guys who are calling it a legal tackle don't ref my games.

By Connor, at October 11, 2010 9:42 pm
wow look at all the star players toulon have

By rosh, at October 11, 2010 10:19 pm
"Shoulder charge followed by a forward pass. A South African player would have received a red card and a 10 week ban."

LOL

Great hit!

By Unknown, at October 11, 2010 10:38 pm
To strip the ball and pass it that quickly from a tackle is awesome. Whatever you think about the tackle that is some pretty top play.

By Nick, at October 11, 2010 10:42 pm
I get the feeling most people who call "dangerous tackle" are just trying to stir the pot. No one in their right mind should take issue with this.

...unless, of course, he was a South African ;)

By fry, at October 12, 2010 12:10 am
that was definitely a high tackle !!! and i'd agree about the no arms !!

By Anonymous, at October 12, 2010 12:13 am
Why do i hear God Save The Queen in the background????

By Outside Centre, at October 12, 2010 12:41 am
some of you posters need to harden up. If we think every tackle is dangerous we might as well start playing netball

By Anonymous, at October 12, 2010 1:28 am
^^ Because there's a Toulon supporter with a bugle and he plays god save the queen a million times a match for Wilkinson.

By crouch...touch......pause.....early engagement!, at October 12, 2010 4:39 am
His arm connects with Hibbard's head, it's a high tackle but not a shoulder charge as his arm was up. He wasn't helped by the fact Hibbard leant down into the tackle.

Kefu is a beast tackler, and did especially well to rip the ball - probably helped by the fact that was a double hit from Wilkinson too.

By Anonymous, at October 12, 2010 6:59 am
Jesus, of course it was a legal tackle.
Beautiful tackle.
Ffs, why do Europeans see ilegal tackles every time anyone gets smashed.
There's no wrap rule, it doesn;'t exist.
The law to do with legal tackling states that a player must make an attmept to graps the other player.
He did that, so well that he ended up grasping the bloody ball out of the blokes' hands.
You guys are crazy.
"High, no arms, he hurt him"
Go watch soccer.
These kind of hits are common place in the SH.
Maybe if Europeans hardened up they'd win more rugby.

By Tom, at October 12, 2010 7:03 am
As common as you think they are, look back at the Tri Nations and some of the cards and bans there. Remember that this wasn't carded.

By Nick, at October 12, 2010 9:58 am
good work and fine with me

By Anonymous, at October 12, 2010 10:58 am
Is that not high?

By Andy, at October 12, 2010 12:35 pm
Tackle was high??? lol. The tackler was almost on his knees when he made it.

By Anonymous, at October 12, 2010 1:33 pm
Nice hit, but the ball rip and pass were better...excellent piece of play. Hit was hard so wrapping was difficult...don't think it was high though...

By NiWiTa, at October 12, 2010 3:47 pm
Huge hit, Hibbard is usually a rock going forward too.

By WelshOsprey, at October 12, 2010 4:06 pm
What a great play! I absolutely can't believe that are rugby supporters out there that find this objectionable. You guys are killing my sport.

By tb, at October 12, 2010 4:32 pm
why don't the iRB just end the debate and allow shoulder charge tackles. If Mungos can handle it, Unions should be able to too.

By Anonymous, at October 12, 2010 5:00 pm
I can almost guarantee that 99% of the people saying "Harden up, that's not an illegal tackle" have probably never played rugby in their lives.

It doesn't matter what the attacking player's posture is in the tackle - as the tackler, you are duty-bound to make sure that your hit is legal. The tackler's shoulder made contact above the carrier's shoulder-line, and there was little attempt if any to wrap the arms. I know it's about "intent" to wrap, but he doesn't even appear bothered.

Consign these sh*te "hits" to Mungoball, and let Union remain a beautiful game - not the ridiculous masochistic, willy-waving contest that Mungoball has become.
I love making, and tolerate receiving, big hits - but illegal hits are not on.

By Anonymous, at October 12, 2010 8:22 pm
It doesn't matter what the attacking player's posture is in the tackle - as the tackler, you are duty-bound to make sure that your hit is legal. The tackler's shoulder made contact above the carrier's shoulder-line, and there was little attempt if any to wrap the arms. I know it's about "intent" to wrap, but he doesn't even appear bothered.

............

What aload of hogwash. I GUARANTEE if I played you I could make you tackle me high. I'm not tough, I'm 5'10 and a crap player in all respect. But I could MAKE YOU tackle me high. Without question.

What's funny is while you slam 'mungoball' you don't realise the number of high shots in Union are above and beyond those in League. Do you want to know why? It's BECAUSE of the wrapping rule.

You'd struggle to find someone in League being clotheslined. Happens all the time in Rugby.

Scrums are far more 'macho' than big hits, and the chance of serious injury is far higher in scrums.

I don't understand how anyone can put down shoulder charges while praising the beautiful game of Union. Completely oblivious to the irony. Look at the injury rates. They don't lie.

Wrapping is for dinasaurs who don't want to concede League has it right.

By Chris, at October 12, 2010 11:54 pm
Again, if you're going to condemn shoulder charges you surely have to condemn scrums.

If you pick one over the other you're a hypocrite and most likely a moron... Of epic proportions.

By Chris, at October 12, 2010 11:57 pm
I don't know what some of you saw but when Kefu went for the tackle he body position was low, only reason some may think it was high is because Hibbard went into contact low as well. Think some of you want the rules changed so that tackling is only legal as long as it is around the waist

By Anonymous, at October 13, 2010 12:30 am
I played union and league my whole life.
I still play union on the weekends, despite the busted shoulder and busted knees.
I love rugby, I love how physical it is.
And if you think this is naything other than a fucking great tackle, you shouldn't be following the sport.
You've got a soft attitude.
We don't have to be PC about this.
It's the beauty of rugby, it's still a real tough game. It's about dishing out and dealing with pain. It's a controlled fight.
That's why people love, it's waht speerate sit from sports like soccer.
Stop trying to sanitise the game.
If you're worried about getting hurt, don't play the game.
People who play accept that ehy're gonna get bashed, shit I look forward to it.
I dopn;t know how common this is in other countires but in Aus we always say that when you go out on to the field you put your body on the line.
Fuck self preservation, this is rugby.

By Tom, at October 13, 2010 1:13 am
Again he hits Hibbard's head, it's an illegal high tackle.

By Anonymous, at October 13, 2010 1:53 am
Bullshit. Your full of it.
It's a good hit.
If you think that was illegal, you shouldn;t be involved in rugby.

By Tom, at October 13, 2010 4:26 am
what has happened to all the rugby fans? they seem like a bunch of softies. What happened to the good old days when some get smashed he gets smashed all good, now we seem to cry about every big hit. So of you guys should even comment about rugby bunch of poofs.

By Rugby fans are becoming girls, at October 13, 2010 4:42 am
Like I said, anyone who has played rugby at a decent level condemns this kind of reckless tackling. All of you guys who've trotted out on a Sunday with the intention of 'smashing up' the opposition, probably don't care whether these kinds of illegal hits (that's a fact, not an opinion - a high shoulder charge is outside of the Union laws) remain in the sport.

For those who actually enjoy playing the game hard, but within the laws, this kind of nonsense hit spoils the sport. It's a game which should be played HARD, and tackling (and rucking) is a key part of this. However, the kind of hit which is likely to deliberately injure someone through negligence and brute force, rather than accidentally through application of skill and technique, has no place in any sport.

This is why Mungoball remains a marginalised sport, not respected by the masses in the same way that Union is.

Tom, Chris - I won't reply directly to you, as you've resorted to personal insults. The first sign of someone ill-equipped to conduct a sensible debate.

By ThisSuitsMungoball, at October 13, 2010 2:57 pm
That's debatable. Rugby League isn't known by the masses. Your comments about it being respected are fallacious for that reason.

In the countries where League is known, it's plenty respected. Unless of course you dismiss the entire working class community of said countries. In the 2 countries where Rugby League has a professional competition it beats Union outright in TV ratings and general popularity.

Even with that aside, popularity does not authenticate or make something good. That's another fallacy.

It's likely you ignore my post not because of Ad Hominems, but because I caught you out. I'll say again; If I played you, I could make you tackle me high. It's not difficult.

The problem is you put an unrealistic burden on the tackler. You put all of the weight on the tackler, and none on the ball runner. If a player runs into contact with his head parallel to his arse you shouldn't be surprised if he cops a slightly high shot. No matter how much of an effort the tackler makes.

You strike me as someone who hasn't stepped foot on the field, ever.

Brad Thorn has it right when he said in League(or 'mungoball') you cannot tackle above the shoulders. In Rugby, you cannot tackle above the nipples.

It's also hilarious that you try to take some sort of mature high ground in this 'debate'. Almost unaware that you originally came in here trolling on League without reason. Hardly the height of maturity, is it.

You're just a quasi-intellectual prawn eating tosser.

By Chris, at October 13, 2010 7:18 pm
So do you want to get rid of scrums and rucks then?
They are much, much more dangerous than tackling, even perfectly legal scrummaging and rucking is more likely to result in serious injury.
So you want to get rid of them, because it offedns you that people might get hurt?
Mungoball (as you idiotically refer to it) has gotten rid of them, and there a fewer spinal injuries as a result.

By Tom, at October 14, 2010 1:39 am
if the visiting team tackle like that its a yellow, no wrap, shoulder to face. was a shocking hospital pass though!
but great to hear the welsh commentator (Quinnell?) just praise the big hit : )

By mat, at October 18, 2010 2:51 pm