The Big Don't Argue: A Tribute To One Of Rugby's Best And Most Violent Plays
Jamie Wall unearths some classic rugby and league fends after Solomone Kata’s monster on Anthony Don in the Warriors vs Titans game on Sunday.
Rugby and league have come a long way from the days when matches were more like thinly disguised bar brawls that sometimes involved a ball. There is, however, one part of the game that remains a brutal throwback to that era. The fend, the handoff, the big don’t argue, the only legal way to make contact with an opponent’s head – call it what you like, it remains a sure fire way to violently humiliate your opposite number.
Anthony Don found that out the hard way on Sunday afternoon. After tracking a flying Solomone Kata for all of 60 metres the Titans winger ended up viciously levelled by one of the best fends you’ll ever see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbLip7RxuoI
So poor Anthony doesn’t feel too bad, here’s five more great ‘take a seat’ moments. Turns out he’s in good company when it comes to getting your dignity destroyed on live television.
Dean Mumm on Marcel Coetzee, Waratahs vs Sharks
The Springbok flanker is not a small man, weighing in at around 112 kgs, so Mumm must have temporarily gained super-human powers to execute this.
Pat Richards on Rod Jensen, Tigers vs Cowboys
Luckily for Rocket Rod, Benji Marshall’s pass is the thing that most people remember about this play. Probably doesn’t make him feel any better about it, though.
Hosea Gear on Keith Earls, All Blacks vs Ireland
With the scoreline already looking disastrous for the Irish, Earls might wish he had eased off and spared himself the ignominy of this vicious Hosea Gear fend.
Greg Inglis on Chris Sandow, Rabbitohs vs Eels
Sandow stands 1.73m and 80kgs. Inglis is 1.95m, 106kgs and KNOWN FOR HAVING A HUGE FEND. Sorry Chris, but you had this coming.
Sonny Bill Williams on Matt Saunders, Canterbury vs Southland
Sonny Bill Williams had only just switched codes and spent the first few games of his fledgling rugby career throwing well-timed passes and block-running. Matt Saunders probably wished he’d stayed that way as SBW decided to turn on Beast Mode with the Ranfurly Shield in his sights.
Comments on RugbyPass
One that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
3 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
109 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
1 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
3 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
3 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
109 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
3 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
109 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
1 Go to comments