*





Manu Tuilagi smashes Tom Williams


Top14 player imposter!


JDV smashed by Benoit August


The Northampton Saints 30m scrum!


Bastareaud huge hit on Rory Lamont


All Blacks skills - Pt 2 In the backyard


Trinh-Duc sets up Harinordoquy try


Wales vs England 1999


Greg Holmes great hit on Francois Louw



Friday, April 29, 2011

Friday Funnies - Mike Tindall and his nose on A League of Their Own

It's been a day for royalty, so sticking with that theme, here's a funny look at England captain Mike Tindall's recent appearance on the hilarious sports quiz show, A League of Their Own.

You may have noticed Tindall and wife to be, Zara Phillips, at the big wedding earlier today as part of the royal precession. They themselves will get married in Edinburgh in June, albeit with a slightly less flash affair.

Princess Anne, Zara's mother, has given her blessing to her daughter to marry the rugged rugby player, but has asked Tindall to sort out his damaged nose first. "She's a bit worried about how the wedding photos might turn out," he said.

After eight separate breaks he says he's had surgery on it before, which didn't turn out too well.

"I had two metal plates inserted up my nose to keep it straight. The very next game, I was playing for Gloucester against Northampton and one of their players put in a high tackle. He pressed his thumbs on my nose and...crunch! The metal plates popped out on to the pitch.

"I'm not keen to do it again."

There has been talk about the nose being in such bad condition that any operation would be an extremely complicated procedure, therefore surely something that wouldn't be worth doing before his career comes to an end. Their big day is in two months though, so it looks like someone will need to do some serious airbrushing to the wedding photos.

As you'll see in this classic compilation of the best bits with Tindall from a recent episode of A League of Their Own, his nose comes up in conversation fairly often. There's plenty of good banter, with some great comedians (and Freddie Flintoff), so hopefully you enjoy it.


Time: 09:33


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Thursday, April 28, 2011

Corey Flynn and Liam Messam tussle sorts itself out

This is an incident from the Crusaders vs Chiefs match that had been talked about last week, but not shown yet so before it becomes too ancient, here it is for those of you who were keen to see what happened.

You saw a great clip that featured an act of good sportsmanship last week, with Corey Flynn being involved in helping out an opposition player after he was knocked out and in a bad state on the floor. Well, this is what happened later in the match.

Crusaders hooker, Flynn, somehow managed to catch Liam Messam in the face with his boot after tackling him. Messam took exception to it, and dished out the punishment in the way that many of the older visitors on the site may be able to relate to.

Describing the incident afterwards, Flynn said that he heard a roar coming from Messam, who was obviously in pain after taking the full brunt of a boot to the face.

"I heard him yelling and then sort of clawing up me, so I knew something was coming," Flynn recalled with a grin. "That was why I covered up. But we had a yarn afterwards and I apologised.

"When he told me what happened, I can understand why he arced up over it because I probably would have done the same. It was a little wee tussle, but we had a cuddle-up after it, so it was fine. It was footy, mate, just footy," he said.

The incident, which Flynn insists was an accident, was investigated by the citing commissioner but later dismissed, possibly for the reason that they sorted it out among themselves.

On a side note, this year is obviously huge for Rugbydump with the World Cup coming up in a few months time. We're close to releasing a new, improved version of the site, but time and effort is needed to finish that off. Please be patient if because of that you notice that site updates aren't quite what you're used to over the next few weeks. Thanks in advance!


Time: 02:09


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Best tries of the Top 14 - Round 24

Everyone loves watching great tries, so despite somehow ending up with three French Top 14 posts in a row this week, here's a top ten compilation of the best tries from the tournament for Round 24.

These compilations, if you're unfamiliar with them, are put together by Canal+ and are usually shown on the weekend of the following week. So in this case, this was only released this past weekend, but features the previous round of action. Got it? Good.

It's the round that saw Toulon beat Toulouse, with two tries scored by former England winger Paul Sackey. Both were featured here on the site, but you can see them make an appearance once again, with surprising positions at numbers ten and one respectively. You can be the judge of which should have been placed where though.

We also picked out Sebastien Chabal's tearaway effort against Perpignan and featured that, and that try comes in at number two on this list. There's plenty more to enjoy though, and it's actually a really enjoyable round of tries with some top quality skills on show. Enjoy.

It's not always possible to cover every tournament everywhere, so if you're after Aviva Premiership highlights and are wondering why there's a lack thereof, please take a look at the Eplayer on the sidebar, which has short recaps of every match.


Time: 04:52


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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Midweek Madness - Rupeni Caucau's butchered try for Toulouse

Toulouse comfortably secured a Top 14 semi final spot with their 33-0 win over Bourgoin at the Stade Ernest Wallon on the weekend. Rupeni Caucau got a little carried away with things though.

Clearly in control after two tries to wing Vincent Clerc, the former superstar Caucau broke the line beautifully then offloaded to Maxime Medard, who fed him in return for what should have been a casual stroll to the tryline.

The flying Fijian, these days plying his trade in the midfield more often than not, managed to bring out the goosestep before somersaulting as he put the ball down to score. The only problem was, he didn't put the ball down, according the referee anyway.

It was referred, and the try was disallowed as it was adjudged to have not made contact with the ground while his fingers were touching it. By all means it was a close call, and many would have said just give it. It is an interesting one though in light of some of the celebrations we've seen of late, which some of you have taken a severe disliking too.

So do you think this try could have been given, or did Caucau make a massive fool of himself?


Time: 03:06


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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Toulon smash Perpignan - Tries, hits, and all the best bits

Toulon effectively knocked Perpignan out of the French Top 14 play-offs race with a convincing 43-12 win at Stade Felix Mayol on Saturday.

While news broke today that Gavin Henson has been sacked from the club, Toulon showed on the weekend that he won't be missed as they racked up an impressive bonus-point win, scoring four tries and getting some revenge for their loss in the Heineken Cup.

As you'll see in these comprehensive highlights, the match was packed with big tackling, great skill, and plenty of ambition. Rudi Wulf in particular stood out as a repeat assassin.

Gabi Lovobalavu also showed how dangerous he can be in midfield, and Jonny Wilkinson and Felipe Contepomi both produced some neat touches, and solid goal kicking.

The following highlights are longer than usual, but if you have 15 minutes to spare it worth watching as there was some great rugby on show. If you've only got 3 minutes, make sure you catch the big hit by Wulf early on.

Although Perpignan were blown away, they have a Heineken Cup semi final to deal with this weekend, taking on Northampton Saints at Stadium:MK. We've got tickets to the match so if you're interested, enter here now to stand a chance at winning a pair.


Time: 15:44


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James O'Connor yellow carded for dump tackle on Zane Kirchner

The Western Force beat the defending Super Rugby champions 26-21 in Perth on Saturday, with young James O'Connor slotting six penalties. He was however yellow carded at one stage, harshly perhaps, which freed up space for the Bulls.

Wallaby O'Connor, not yet 21, is key to the Force's success, as was evident again on the weekend. He was carded by referee Mark Lawrence though for this dangerous tackle on Bulls fullback Zane Kirchner, which brought up further questions surrounding the tackle law.

At first glance it looked a solid hit, but Lawrence, who by all means was unlucky to miss out on a World Cup slot, deemed it dangerous. Law 10.4 (j) states that a player may not lift an opponent and drop or drive him into the ground while his feet are still in the air, such that the players head or upper body come into contact with the ground.

The law is pretty clear, but that doesn't necessarily mean its correct to make sure it's enforced each and every time that a player is lifted in a tackle. Could there not be a provision made for referee's discretion? There is a difference between lifting a player in a tackle, and a spear.

Opinions may vary on this one, and so they should, but its not the first time that we've seen a tackle that is only dangerous in the rugby sense get blown up, and the player carded.

Nathan Sharpe could be heard saying 'That's just a great hit, surely?' to which Lawrence responded 'He's lifted him. It's not my law, that is the law.'

Do you think it's worth sacrificing 7 out of 10 tackles to make sure that we avoid those 3 really dangerous ones, or do you think that its time the tackle law was revised slightly? I'm sure there's lots of different opinions on this one, so please share yours as a comment below.


Time: 01:54


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Monday, April 25, 2011

Quade Cooper's great try and big celebration against the Waratahs

Quade Cooper scored a great individual try against the Waratahs on Saturday in a tight all Aussie battle at Suncorp Stadium. His celebration after the try wasn't too bad either.

It was a tense game that had a test match feel to it with so much happening, including the unfortunate injury to winger Drew Mitchell. In the end it was a fairly low scoring affair, with the Reds breaking their seven year drought over rivals the Waratahs, winning 19-15.

It was the Reds' seventh win in a row, their first time in Super Rugby. They're rewarded with a top of the table spot, not only in the Australian conference, but overall too.

Flyhalf Quade Cooper, who actually had a bit of a shocker kicking from hand, produced this game breaking try that gave the Reds the much needed lead. Taking the ball without much momentum after a poor scrum, Cooper showed that he has great acceleration, ripping the Waratah defence apart before wrong footing Wallaby teamate Kurtley Beale.

While his kicking from hand was poor, in the last two matches he has progressed massively, keeping the opposition on their toes, pulling off the impossible at times. The 40 000 fans on hand in Brisbane were also treated to a Breyton Paulse speciality, with Cooper showing that its not just Digby Ioane who can have a little fun when scoring.


Time: 02:02


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Delon Armitage's sneaky punch on Stephen Myler

Delon Armitage appears to have let himself down again with another misdemeanour that will more than likely result in him spending more time out of the game. It took place during Northampton Saints' 26-20 win over London Irish.

Armitage missed England's Six Nations following an altercation with a doping officer that led to a eight week suspension. Against Northampton Saints this past weekend, the former England fullback looked to have swung a fist at flyhalf Stephen Myler, catching him in the face.

It was late in the game and it's hard to know what prompted it, other than possible frustration, but it wasn't picked up by the ref or touchjudge, and even the commentators missed it. The tv cameras didn't though, as it was clear to see for those watching at home.

If he is cited and suspended, the chances are that it could range from the low-end offence punishment of two weeks, right up to eight weeks for a top-end offence. His disciplinary record won't do him any favours though, so you'd think even a low-end offence might be hiked up.

At this stage it's unclear if he will actually even be cited or not, but many of you pointed this out as something you'd like highlighted and shown again, so here it is. What's your take on it?

Update 03/05/2011: Armitage has now been suspended for three weeks.


Time: 01:00


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Sunday, April 24, 2011

Drew Mitchell's horrible injury after colliding with Scott Higginbotham

Drew Mitchell's World Cup aspirations are almost certainly over as he picked up a horrific injury in Saturday's Reds vs Waratahs Super Rugby derby game in Brisbane. Mitchell suffered the injury when colliding with Scott Higginbotham.

The screams could be heard sideline as Mitchell went down in a heap clutching his leg, writhing in pain from a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula. Medics rushed on and managed to get the ankle back in place fairly quickly, but he will be out for the rest of the Super Rugby season as a result, and more than likely the World Cup too.

The injury came when Mitchell chased a kick-ahead but was impeded by Reds number eight Higginbotham, who looked to have changed his running line and lent his weight into the Waratahs flyer. While injuring him wouldn't have been the intention, opposition coach Chris Hickey was very disappointed with what happened.

"He would be devastated, particularly when it happens in an incident, someone deliberately does something that causes something to happen. It was (deliberate) and that is disappointing.

"You have a lot of mixed feelings, disappointment, anger, particularly for Drew. It's a World Cup year and his form both last year and this year have been outstanding.

"It's not only a big loss for the Waratahs, it's a big loss for the Wallabies as well. I'm not a doctor but I think you're looking at five or six months before he could play again," Hickey said.

Mitchell underwent an operation in Brisbane on Saturday which will sideline him for near on six months. It would take some kind of miracle recovery for him to be back in time for the World Cup, but the man himself is optimistic. He tweeted earlier 'Surgery apparently went well (not that they'd say otherwise haha) with a bit of luck, I'll be back on deck in a few months'.

There have been no official complaints from the Waratahs towards Higginbotham.

FYI, it was unpleasant to watch, but not too graphic as there weren't many replays. If you're squeamish at all though, please rather opt out of watching the video below.


Time: 02:57


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Friday, April 22, 2011

Rene Ranger has a go at the Digby Ioane turtle

The Blues went top of the Super Rugby table after a 40-23 win over the Melbourne Rebels in Auckland earlier today. Rene Ranger scored twice, and had a go at a celebration of his own.

The home side started well with two early tries, but in typical fashion, the Rebels came back at them, with the game in the balance at one stage thanks to some good goal kicking from Danny Cirpriani. The former England flyhalf unfortunately let himself down with his defence though, as was clear to see on more than one occasion.

Rene Ranger scored the opening try within a few minutes of kick off, brushing off would-be tacklers while flying down the wing. The site producer didn't pick it up initially, but Ranger and a few of the Blues boys had a go at the much hyped Digby Ioane celebration, in their own way.

While it was a bit of a pisstake, to be frank, it's all in good spirits as Ioane himself tweeted earlier "Just saw ranger try!!!!! That is 2 funny:) the man!!!!!!". Blues scrumhalf Alby Mathewson later said that they'd been practising it at the captains run yesterday.

Follow Ioane on Twitter @digbyioane, Mathewson @Staffy9, and of course RD @rugbydump


Time: 01:06


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The Rugby Club Plays of the Week - Round 9 - Bust a move

'It's the Caterpillar!' No it's not, as Greg Martin will have been told many times over the last week. In this edition of The Rugby Club, Martin admits he made a mistake when calling it, and we we get to see the ever popular, Plays of the Week.

If you have no idea what that's referring to, it is of course the moment that few will ever forget, when Digby Ioane scored a runaway try against the Bulls, and celebrated with some breakdancing. Commentator Greg Martin confidently called the move a Caterpillar.

Obviously the experts out there picked him up on his mistake right away, and he's since been corrected, repeatedly, being told it's actually called the turtle. So in this week's Plays of the Week, the focus is on busting a move, naturally.

Drew Mitchell was in studio for this week's show, and as you can see if you look carefully, was up to his tricks with Ben Robinson and his chair, which mysteriously kept popping down while he was being chatted to. That explains the giggling, if you can't work it out.

There's also the usual dose of big hits, great tries, crazy fans, and of course, some dancing girls.


Time: 03:48


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Thursday, April 21, 2011

Richard Kahui's two big hits against the Crusaders

There's been so much talk about the strength of the New Zealand midfield of late that certain players can get slightly overlooked. One of those guys stuck his hand up on the weekend, or rather his shoulders, in an attempt to get back on the radar.

This was one of those eventful matches where lots happened and plenty could be posted from it here on RD. You already saw the nice piece of sportsmanship from Corey Flynn earlier in the week, and there was a bit of a fight too, but for now we'll take a look at two big tackles.

While Conrad Smith and Ma'a Nonu are more than likely first choice All Blacks based on past exploits, the form of Sonny Bill Williams and Robbie Fruean could mean that they are the heirs apparent. It's easy to forget that there are also other massive talents waiting in the wings too, namely Luke McAlister of the Blues, and Richard Kahui of the Chiefs.

Kahui, who has been hampered by his bad run of injuries, was up against Williams and Fruean on the weekend. He matched them for physicality, letting everyone know that he's still around and very much fighting for a World Cup spot, whether in midfield or even on the wing.

While the first hit in this clip is possibly a bit questionable, it came out of nowhere so looked great. He then followed it up directly afterwards with a great tackle on flanker George Whitelock. Two big hits that added to the intensity of the game, and are well worth seeing.


Time: 01:12


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Referee sandwiched between a prop and a hard place

It's a tough job at the best of times, but as French referee David Rosich found out when Bourgoin played Castres this past weekend, get yourself in the wrong position and you could end up leaving on a stretcher.

Over the years there's been a few bad referee knocks featured here on RD, but this is probably the worst as I don't recall the last time we saw an official actually carried off the pitch, on a stretcher, with a neck brace on.

Rosich got himself in an awkward position as he had his back turned, more than likely looking at the offside line, then got knocked from one side, and hit from the other.

The microphone on him created a similar effect to what we heard with Flip Van Der Merwe's hit recently, except probably worse (better?). The impressive thing was that he managed to get the whistle in his mouth before hitting the ground, although it can't be heard clearly on this clip.

The 39 year old was attended to immediately by the medics from both teams, and was put in a neck brace and whisked off to hospital for medical examinations. This clip condenses the incident though, and it did actually take a good 10 minutes to get him sorted out, perhaps because of the nature of a clash on a man not expecting it, hence the extra precautions taken.

"I was not expecting it and my body was completely relaxed. I was examined there and then the next day by the doctor," said Rosich, who is meant to be officiating this coming weekend.

"I still have headaches," he added.


Time: 02:10


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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Classic Encounters - Leicester Tigers and Gloucester's thrilling draw

The most talked about game of the Aviva Premiership this past weekend was the incredible 41-41 draw that took place at Welford Road on Saturday, the highest scoring draw in Premiership history.

Leicester Tigers were 14 points up in the second half but tossed it away as Gloucester came back, then snatched a vital intercept try on the stroke of fulltime, scored by skilful centre Eliota Fuimano-Sapolu.

It was a great occasion as the dry weather and sunshine of Welford Road provided a great day of rugby for the 24 000 on hand, as both sides chanced their arm, displaying some great running rugby and individual moments of magic.

For the Tigers, powerful wing Alesana Tuilagi scored a quickfire hat-trick, while one of the best moment for Gloucester was the sensational flick on from Matt Cox for Andy Hazell's try.

In the end it came down to a loose pass from Jeremy Staunton that gifted Fuiamno-Sapolu the runaway try, and a conversion that ended the game with a 41-41 draw.


Time: 06:35


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Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Sebastien Chabal's 70m sprint try against Perpignan

Racing Metro went down 23-16 to Perpignan in the Top 14 on the weekend, but managed to pick up a losing bonus point after a late runaway try from France forward, Sebastien Chabal.

Perpignan had possession with time up on the clock but coughed it up when going for the scoring pass, allowing Racing to pounce and set everybody’s favourite caveman up for the 70m sprint.

A fairly feeble attempt from Rudi Coetzee gave him the space to get going, but the gas he showed was reminiscent of the two great tries he scored in the 2007 World Cup against Namibia.

Chabal was known as the highest paid rugby player in the world until recently, but now with talk of Dan Carter joining him at Racing Metro, that will change.

Carter is reported to be joining the club for a fee around £1.2 million per season, with the three year deal on the table, although nothing is confirmed yet.

Metro retain their second place on the table thanks to the losing bonus point that was achieved through the conversion from current flyhalf, Jonathan Wisniewski. Perpignan also kept their hopes of squeezing into the top six alive.


Time: 01:36


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Andrew Van Der Heijden's huge hit on prop Soane Tonga'uiha

A few days ago you saw a video that featured Gcobani Bobo and Chris Ashton having a little battle in the Newcastle vs Northampton match. As mentioned, the game was full of incident, so here's another great hit from it.

The Bobo-Ashton post, which was stuck up to a highlight a great hit and a nice, old school type confrontation, caused quite a stir as some of you took the opportunity to rip into a player that for various reasons is disliked in some quarters.

Opinions are fine, and constructive discussion is encouraged, but lets bear in mind that a lot of these players do visit the site and we'd like the image of it not to be tarnished by anonymous mud slinging please. That's a little request from RD to you, that would be much appreciated.

Back to the game, and this cracking hit from Aucklander Andrew van der Heijden on Saints' mobile prop Soane Tonga'uiha, who has probably never been hit that hard in his life.

A former Auckland and Blues player, 6ft7 Van der Heijden moved to Newcastle in December, and after recovering from a broken arm the day after signing, has been looking to make a big impact. As you can see below, he did just that, smashing the big Tongan into next week.

You can watch short highlights of all the Aviva Premiership games on the eplayer on the sidebar. If you're after something more extensive, PremiershipRugbyTV has extended highlights of every match, some in full, as well as some great extra features. Register here


Time: 01:07


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Monday, April 18, 2011

Good sportsmanship after another Owen Franks head clash

Last weekend Owen Franks and Flip Van Der Merwe had a horrible head clash that ended the night for the big Bulls second rower. On Saturday Franks did it again, this time against the Chiefs.

When tackling and colliding with Van Der Merwe of the Bulls, Crusaders prop Franks barely flinched. This time it was he who made the charge into Tanerau Latimer, and even though bandage and a bit of repair work was needed, he stayed on the field.

The collision happened directly from kick off, in the first passage of play, thus ending the night for Latimer who took the knock just 35 seconds into it. He has now been forced to miss the Chiefs' two match tour of South Africa after suffering a concussion.

"We don't think there's anything broken but it was certainly a pretty significant head clash," said coach Ian Foster. "We were probably one player short and Lats' injury in that first minute changed the way we wanted to execute things.

"The last 15mins was the period they started to get a bit more dominant at the breakdown, whereas our plan was probably similar to theirs but we didn't have an extra player to bring on at that time." The Chiefs lost the game 34-16.

If something positive could come from it, it was the way in which Crusaders hooker Corey Flynn reacted, attending to the opposition player by turning him over with the help of Fritz Lee.

It was great to see, and while Flynn was actually involved in an unsavoury incident later in the match, that's another story altogether, so credit should be given for his sporting gesture.


Time: 01:50


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Sunday, April 17, 2011

Paul Sackey's two tries for Toulon against Toulouse

Paul Sackey scored twice within a few minutes as Toulon beat top of the table Toulouse 21-9 in their Top 14 meeting in Marseille yesterday. Fellow Englishman Jonny Wilkinson kicked the rest of the points.

It was Toulon's fifth successive win at packed French football champions Marseille's stadium, Stade Velodrome. Thanks to the win, they are now still in contention for a playoff place.

"There is little to say about the first 50 minutes! We just sat back and watched them play," said club president Mourad Boudjellal. "Then the Toulon magic clicked into gear... I think that the unexpected energy of Sackey surprised them," he added.

Sackey scored his first from two bits of pinpoint accuracy, firstly by Wilkinson with a great long pass, and then with the kick ahead that sat up nicely for him to dive on. For his second he somehow got through the Toulouse defence, leaving about four players looking a little confused.

The result leaves Toulon in seventh place, with two tough games to come, against Perpignan and then Montpellier.

Both tries are posted below, as a playlist. The first will play, then the second automatically


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Gcobani Bobo and Chris Ashton's little duel from Kingston Park

Tempers flared in a highly eventful Aviva Premiership game between Newcastle Falcons and Northampton Saints on Friday night. This video features one of the sideshows from the fiery match, which resulted in a 22-15 win for Saints.

In a situation that's fairly similar to the Josh Lewsey vs Mat Rogers incident in 2003, opposite numbers Gcobani Bobo and Chris Ashton had a cameo battle that went on all night.

It started with a little push and shove from Ashton, England's star winger who lacks no passion. A few minutes later Bobo flattened him with a massive tackle out wide. The teamates loved it, with Jimmy Gopperth, himself the victim of a few big hits, hooting and wooing as they got up in the face of the Saints boys. A little wink from Bobo sealed the deal.

It was Ashton though, ever the competitor, who actually had the last laugh as he scored the match winning try late in the game, and went on to make sure that Bobo knew all about it.

We'll have more from this match over the next few days, as there were a few incidents that are worth sharing, including a late hit that looked like a punch, and a lock smashing a prop. You can view points highlights on the sidebar now though, with the eplayer.


Time: 02:23


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Saturday, April 16, 2011

Digby Ioane's try and unbelievable celebration against the Bulls

The Queensland Reds and the Bulls played a fantastic game of Super Rugby earlier, with the Reds winning it 39-30. Digby Ioane scored a nice try after a great chase, and had an even better celebration.

The game was packed with skill, with Quade Cooper marshalling his troops well from ten, pulling out his usual bag of tricks, which included one inside flick in particular.

The moment everyone will be talking about though was when winger Digby Ioane sprinted down the wing, easily beating Morne Steyn and Pierre Spies, to then dive on the ball and score.

What followed was what is apparently known in break dancing circles as a spinning top/handspin/UFO/cricket/whirlwind, and probably a few other names. Experts feel free to chime in with the correct term for it. Whatever it's called, it was sensational.

If you liked this, please share it with your mates via the Facebook and Tweet buttons below


Time: 02:00


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Friday, April 15, 2011

Friday Funnies - Horacio Agulla loses his pants

It's nearly the weekend so time for something on a lighter note, and a clip that is quite possibly for the ladies out there, who apparently seem to think they never have anything to 'check out'.

In reality there's muscular men in tight shorts running around for their delight all the time, while all the male fans get is a few cheerleaders on the sidelines. Whatever the case, the female rugby fans are appreciated here on RD, so this one is probably for them.

There's not much more one can say about this, except that Horacio Agulla of Leicester Tigers somehow had his shorts pulled right down last weekend against Leinster, following a pretty impressive hand-off behind his own tryline.

Commentator Miles Harrison was more than mildly amused, which makes for a quite funny clip, and one that a few of you have requested to see again. So guys out there, have a laugh, and to the ladies who visit the site regularly, of which there are many, enjoy.

You can watch highlights of this great Heineken Cup quarter final match here


Time: 0:55


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Munster beat Brive in Amlin Challenge Cup quarter final tryfest

Munster came away 42-37 winners over Brive in the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter final on the weekend, one of the more entertaining European games of the round. It's been highly requested, so here's the tries from the match.

Th visitors flew off into the lead with a great start, but Brive came back well and it soon became clear that both sides were out to play, in perfect conditions at the Stadium Municipal Amedee Domenech in France.

Munster scored five tries in total, to the four of Brive, and played some highly attractive rugby with Keith Earls and Doug Howlett in particular both showing how lethal they can on the front foot, in open space. They each scored two, while replacement scrumhalf Peter Stringer picked up a try of his own.

Ronan O'Gara kicked the rest of the points, 17 in total, while Brive came back admirably at the end with tries to Alexis Palisson and Shaun Perry. A dramatic finish wasn't on the cards though, as Munster held on for the win.

"The intercept from Palisson really hurt us around the 70-minute mark. That gave them a great springboard into the game and then they had the fortitude and the courage to keep coming back at us, which we knew they would," said coach Tony McGahan.

"We certainly recognise, playing French sides, that you need to make sure you're in front on the scoreboard to not give them any hope. You saw how the game ebbed and flowed, and how they played when they were in front and when they were behind. So we needed to be a little bit more clinical, more on our defence obviously."

Munster will face Harlequins next in the semi final.


Time: 05:14


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Thursday, April 14, 2011

Super Rugby Pick of the Week - Round 8

Another action packed rugby weekend kicks off tomorrow as the Chiefs host the Crusaders in Hamilton. Ahead of that, here's some of the best tries from last weekend's Super Rugby, as picked by Rugbydump.

Last week the tries package went down quite well, with a few that many of you seemed to really enjoy. This week, Round 8, we've got even more great tries. In fact some were left out as time got quite tight, including Adam Thomson's double for the Highlanders against the Cheetahs.

Philip Burger's try from that game is in though, a great effort from the Bloemfontein men despite going down narrowly on the road again. Their fellow countrymen, the Bulls, took an even bigger hiding at the hands of the Crusaders, who totally dominated the defending champs.

Drew Mitchell scored two fantastic tries for the Waratahs against the Force, showing that he's one of the best finishers in the game when put in space, while the Sharks proved too good for the Lions in Durban, scoring a few free flowing tries themselves.

For the Brumbies Henry Speight showed his finishing prowess with a great try, while Aaron Cruden's effort against them was quite unique, yet highly effective and very nicely done.

It's another good round with plenty of entertaining rugby for you to enjoy.


Time: 04:48
Music: Pussy Liquor by Rob Zombie


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Hugo Southwell's try for Stade Francais against Montpellier

Stade Francais came back from being 16-0 down to take a narrow 32-28 victory over Montpellier in their Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final on the weekend. They progress to the semi final, where they will face rivals Clermont Auvergne.

The Paris side scored four tries as both teams played some highly entertaining rugby in an open, free flowing game. One was a penalty try, while the others were scored by Hugo Southwell, Tom Palmer, and Antoine Burban.

Southwell’s was probably the pick of them, with a runaway solo effort after Montpellier had built up an attack with some great interplay, before coughing the ball up.

One of the best parts of the try was actually the reverse-flick-pass by Montpellier’s number eight, Marc Giraud, before possession was lost. Scotland’s Southwell then streaked away, showing good pace and beating the last man nicely.

He nearly scored again later, following a great chip and chase, but his foot was out.

Stade Francais will face Clermont in the semi final, and ironically have them next in the Top 14 too, something that’s bemused assistant coach Chris Whitaker.

"We play them this weekend and then in two weeks' time in the Amlin again.

"It was the same with Montpellier as we played them two weeks ago as well. It's worked out a little bit funny and it is a strange one," he said.


Time: 02:57


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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Leinster into the semis after seeing off Leicester Tigers

Leinster were too strong at home for Leicester Tigers as they progressed to a Heineken Cup semi final meeting with Toulouse after beating the English side 17-10 at the Aviva Stadium on the weekend.

The hosts were in control for most of the game, and while a late Tigers try gave them some hope of a comeback, Leinster showed their experience to hold on and take the deserved win.

The Tigers came close to scoring a try through Alesana Tuilagi earlier in the game, but he was ruled to be in touch. It was a bit of justice as the pass that got him there looked suspiciously forward, as did one that started Isa Nacewa’s great try, but the Fijian got away with it, taking the chance brilliantly.

"They are a good side. Did they deserve to win? The scoreboard says they did. We had opportunities. We didn't take them," said an unhappy Richard Cockerill of Leicester.

"I can't manage the referee if he's not penalising tackle assists and not penalising guys for not entering through the gate. That's up to him how he referees but it was refereed very differently to how the Test matches were refereed and refereed very differently to the Premiership."

Cockerill also took a potshot at England’s coaching setup. "Floody left us in the autumn at 80 per cent, worked with England and came back at less than that. You'll have to ask England's kicking coach Dave Aldred why."

"He's changed his kicking style, which was news to us. We weren't consulted at all."

Leinster will face Toulouse in the semi final, after they beat Biarritz 27-20 in San Sebastian.


Time: 06:21


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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Perpignan into the semis with win over Toulon in Spain

Perpignan advanced to the semi final of the Heineken Cup as they came from behind to beat Toulon 29-25 in front of a packed Olympic Stadium in Barcelona on Saturday.

The first half had been a stalemate for the most part, with a few penalties exchanged amidst the cauldron in Spain, with 55 000 fans looking on. Toulon scored the first try through George Smith, a charge down which took them into a 11-6 halftime lead.

Perpignan took the lead ten minutes into the second though with a fantastic try to winger Adriend Plante following a rolling maul. Visiting captain Joe Van Niekerk then scored a try for his side as they hit back from the restart to regain the lead.

Jerome Porical took control of matters though as he kicked Perpignan into the lead, before a Perry Freshwater try from close range made the gap too big for Toulon to pull back, despite a try on fulltime by Fabien Cibray.

The game ended with Porical picking up a personal tally of 19 points, and a successful outing for the Catalan side, who produced when they needed it most.

"We fulfilled our dream of introducing rugby to Barcelona. There was a big investment by both sides. For that reason we had to win this match," coach Jacques Brunel said.

"We tried not to be overawed by the occasion, but we were weak at the beginning of the match and practically all the first half, but to our credit we knew how to channel our energies in the second half."

Toulon manager Philippe Saint-Andre said that they couldn’t complain about the loss.

"Congratulations to Perpignan. They did not concede a single penalty between the 33rd and the 72nd minutes. As far as we are concerned, we lacked discipline," he said.


Time: 04:49


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Monday, April 11, 2011

Owen Franks hit and head-clash with Flip Van Der Merwe

In one of the most brutal clashes of the weekend, Bulls lock Flip Van Der Merwe was smashed by Crusaders replacement prop Owen Franks, adding to the misery on the night for the visiting side.

The Crusaders, missing key men Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, managed to out muscle the defending Super Rugby champs as they came out 27-0 winners in Timaru on Saturday night.

The Bulls were outplayed in most departments, with the power of the Crusaders up front beating them at the breakdown, at lineout time, and one more than one occasion, in the collisions.

This hit on Bok lock Van Der Merwe turned out to be quite symbolic, as he came off worst in the hit and head-clash with Franks, leaving him battered and bruised, much like the visitors overall.

Franks said that having been on the bench for most of the game, he was frustrated and raring to go when finally getting on, which probably added to the venom of the tackle.

"You're pumped up, you want to make a difference and that's what it did hopefully.

"When you are sitting on the bench you can see where their runners are going and I saw him from a while away – I picked it pretty well I suppose," he said, adding that he wasn't surprised to see Van Der Merwe left prone, bloodied, on the floor.

"Not really – I went into it pretty hard and I didn't come off it perfect myself so it was good to see him down longer than me. I was just a bit dazed at the time but I stayed on my feet."


Time: 01:40


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Dylan Hartley gets a nibble on his arm from Pedrie Wanneburg

Northampton Saints overcame a determined Ulster side with a 23-13 Heineken Cup quarter final victory in Milton Keynes yesterday. This clip shows one of the talking points from the game.

It was a fascinating tussle throughout and while Ulster had a great chance to equalise late in the game, a dropped ball with the try line begging meant that Saints held on to grind out the win.

Captain Dylan Hartley praised his troops. "I'm so proud of the lads because we kept up that tempo until they cracked - only they didn't crack, which made it such a compelling battle."

Hartley himself grabbed the attention of the viewers when he was heard swearing towards referee Romain Poite, claiming he had been bitten. Replays showed that he quite probably was, by Pedrie Wanneburg, who had to deal with Hartley's forearm around the face.

When asked about it, Hartley said "I can't remember - I think I got sun stroke."

He was then told he was heard on the referee's microphone. "Really? That will teach me for trying to pull people out of rucks by the head. That is justice," he said, referring to the bite.


Time: 01:33


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Saturday, April 09, 2011

School Of Hard Knocks 2011 - Episode 6 - Final

The long awaited final to this years School of Hard Knocks is now ready as Scott Quinnell, Will Greenwood, and the rest of the team face the final hurdle in their life changing program with a group of unemployed youths from Croydon.

Over the weeks we've watched on as the guys have made great strides both on and off the rugby field. In many ways the changes made off the field have been the ultimate goal of the show. Most of them hadn't played rugby before though so to see them embrace the sport and allow themselves to learn from the values and lessons it brings, has been fascinating to watch.

In this final episode, emotions run high as job opportunities are handed to the guys. A bit of training, guidance, and motivation is needed though, and will no doubt change their lives going forward.

On the rugby side of things, the passion shown in this episode by Scott Quinnell in particular is really good to see. The personal interest that the mentors have invested in the guys also makes it an emotional finale to a fantastic series.

Big thanks to Sky Sports for producing it, Chris Chudleigh and Rugby Performance for doing their bit, and to everyone else involved in making a change. Onwards and upwards.


Time: 47:50
Note: If you're in Germany, here's another way for you to watch it - SOHK final


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The Rugby Club Plays of the Week - Round 7

It's Saturday and another rugby overload, as from Timaru to Barcelona, it's hard to know which way to look next. We'll catch up on everything soon, so keep the requests coming, but for now here's a bit of a laugh with the Plays of the Week.

Last week we asked if you'd like to continue seeing this feature on RD, and the response was good so we'll stick with it, as the majority of you seem to be enjoy it. And so you should.

Round 7's segment is a classic, with plenty of good looking girls, some great tries, and of course the regular dose of frightening fans, with one in particular catching the attention of the guys at the Rugby Club.

There's also another look at Jimmy Cowan's kick into the back of Jamie Mackintosh's head, a few big hits, and some guys in blue lycra jumping up and down. What more could you ask for? Enjoy.

Follow RD on Facebook and Twitter to interact, make requests, and get updates.


Time: 02:01
Thanks as always to @seanny202 and Fox Sports


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Friday, April 08, 2011

Super Rugby Pick of the Week - Round 7

This weekend is the biggest on the international rugby calender since the Six Nations came to a close a few weeks back. To get you in the mood for the weekend, here's the best tries of last weekend's Super Rugby tournament.

The Heineken Cup resumes this weekend, as does the Amlin Challenge Cup, with quarter final action taking place around Europe. On top of that there's a few Aviva Premiership games, and then of course Super Rugby down south.

Last week there wasn't time for a Pick of the Week, and this week was almost the same but here it is, a selection of the best tries scored in round 7. In fact round 6's tries didn't come close to this week's, so it's worked out nicely.

Starting with Jason Rutledge's first try from a brilliant Jimmy Cowan kick, this round has loads of good tries for you to enjoy. Joe Rokocoko's against the Cheetah's was fantastic, as was the one Sarel Pretorious finished off in the same match.

There's actually loads of enjoyable tries, so hopefully you find the selection entertaining.


Time: 05:32
Music: Elouise by Say Hi, and Stand Up by The Prodigy


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Thursday, April 07, 2011

Mark Cueto's alleged eyegouge and Neil Briggs' red card

Sale's Mark Cueto could be facing a lengthy period out of the game if his disciplinary hearing next week doesn't go well following his alleged eyegouge against Northampton Saints this past weekend.

The England winger got himself involved in an off the ball scuffle with lock Christian Day, and has since been cited for making contact with the eye or eye area, an offence that as we all know, now carries a hefty minimum suspension of 12 weeks.

He will front up on Monday next week to a RFU panel in the knowledge that the video evidence doesn't hide too much, and should they decide to impose a heavier ban, he could even miss out on the world cup.

While his hands did seem to make contact with the eye area, it would be quite a stretch to say that it was an intentional eyegouge, especially as the player on the receiving end has since said that he was unaware of it even taking place, and will more than likely support Cueto's cause.

That said, we have seen less clear-cut incidents receive heavy bans in the past.

The incident preceded the sending off of hooker Neil Briggs, who received a second yellow card for his involvement in the brawl. You can watch both incidents, as they both happened at the same time, below. What do you think of the eye-contact - heavy ban or not at all?


You can watch full highlights of this game, and others, on PremiershipRugby TV now. Sign up for live audio, extended match highlights, and even full matches on demand. Register now


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Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Ronan O'Gara and Munster snatch victory from Leinster at Thomond Park

Points machine Ronan O’Gara kicked Munster to a 24-23 victory over Leinster in their Magners League meeting at Thomond Park. They remain top of the table after the rivals battled it out for eighty minutes in a closely fought affair.

A last gasp penalty by O’Gara denied Leinster of a famous victory in Limerick, despite them scoring the only try of the match, a top quality team try that was finished well by wing Shane Horgan.

Munster had been 20-9 down at half time but managed to get back into the game with O’Gara taking his opportunities and remaining ice cool when the big moment arose.

The win for Munster leaves them 12 points clear of second place Ulster.

O’Gara had a bad black eye after the game from a knock, but will be fit for Munster’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter final against Brive this coming weekend.

"You only have to look at their home record, some of the teams they've beaten - Stade Francais, Clermont, Perpignan, Toulon - to see its going to be a tough assignment for us," said O’Gara.

"They're a typical French side, they take pride in their home performance, their supporters expect that, so it's going to be massive task for us to win there."

Below are short highlights from the match. You can also view the kick and an interview with O'Gara from after the match here.


Time: 02:41


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