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'I can't believe that worked': Five miracle plays that actually paid off
In honour of Lionel Cronje’s slick wraparound grubber against the Force, Jamie Wall looks at five other players who managed to pull off a perfect miracle kick or pass.
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Oh, the irony. The weekend Super Rugby went through the turmoil of change and having to cut teams, one of the teams that’ll be certain to be in the firing line pulled off one of the most viral highlights of the season.
Lionel Cronje’s utterly ridiculous one-man wraparound pass and grubber through for Malcolm Jaer to score showed that the Kings are still capable of a few highlights. Even still, it arguably wasn’t even the top miracle play of the weekend when you consider Dillyn Leyd’s behind the back flick to set up SP Marais.
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In honour of these super Super Rugby plays, let’s have a look at some of the other inspired, crazy or just downright jammy moments:
Joe Roff vs England: Did we ever tell you how much we love retro jerseys? That is part of the reason this play makes the list, but mainly it’s because it features three epic passes in a row, each getting better than the last till Joe Roff throws a miracle ball to Ben Tune. The funny bit is the sky-blue throwback New South Wales kit (that’s what Australia wore as their original strip), given that none of the players involved in that movement played for the Waratahs.
Quade Cooper vs the Cheetahs: When he’s not injured or fighting overweight man-children for charity, Quade Cooper is capable of some pretty special things. Most of them came during the 2011 season, when the confidence of the Reds led him to try a cross kick in his own in goal that led to a 60m break upfield. Of course, it was this sort of thing that led them to their one and only title as well. Which seems a long time ago now, sadly.
Tamati Ellison vs the Crusaders: The man with one of the most notable surnames in New Zealand rugby has carved out a career that took him to four Super Rugby teams and a decent stint in Japan. He also was looking destined to be a one-test All Black after debuting in 2009, but form like this saw him recalled back over three years later. By then he was on his third franchise. After this season with the Highlanders he moved to the Melbourne Rebels, but didn’t produce any miracle passes there.
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Carlos Spencer vs the Springboks: As well as retro jerseys, we’ve also got a thing for Carlos Spencer. The cheekiest man in rugby pulled out this piece of improvisation in not only a match against the Springboks, not only a World Cup match, but a knockout quarterfinal. This play is one that All Black fans might not remember so well because the next week King Carlos threw a pass that didn’t quite go according to plan.
Lima Sopoaga vs the Hurricanes: This one deserved a try for the kick, though maybe not so much for the shocking forward pass that Matt Faddes throws after collecting it. Sopoaga is often looked at as the steady and sensible option at first five for the All Blacks, but stuff like this shows he can mix it up with the likes of Beauden Barrett if he needs to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVjtWILuG0M
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Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
76 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments