Great small player tacklers

Hi all, here I hope to get a good post going, with examples or stories, of really good tacklers who are small, say round 5' 8" and under and under 80kgs...

I'll start with my favorite, George Gregan. Many many hits in many games, but here are some form youtune..

Maybe his famous try-saving tackle on All Black Jeff Wilson ..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvA79_K3AcM I think that haunted the kiwis for oooo.. well until next year when they won it back... LOL!

Taking Lomu on in full flight in one of the best rugby games ever (Sydney 2000)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heoO_5MvZ0w (rond 39 seconds mark. He offloaded and the kiwis scored but a good tackle still)

Here he holds Ian Balshaw off the ground to prevent a try
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF5CV6YzCjk

Please feel free to post others and their tackles

Not quite the same but I was at a tourny last year (U14's 15mins a half) with a junior team playing against a number of teams...

Anyway we made the final against a team from Milton Keynes, a very big English side who were destroying all before them.

First half their centre who looked 25 had scored 3 tries alone and everytime he touched the ball basically scored. Half time 19 - 10!

We were better 2nd half and amazingly with a minute to go took the lead, then we were given a scrum in their 22, we were pushed off it and they created a ruck out wide, set their centre deep and gave him a 20 yard run, he managed to negotiate past 5/6 of our forwards and was free and clear except for our FB who had panic'd and being very inexperienced fell very deep when we lost the scrum.

As the brute bared down on him he actually shuffled backwards and the whole crowd of about 200 fell silent except for their coaching screaming 'smash him' from behind As they came together the FB was still moving backwards and had now already bent over really low in an attempt to drag the brute down by his knees, at this point I closed my eyes for a second but as the brute began to throw his hip into the FB and go on to try the FB exploded high and hit the brute around the shoulder, both boys collided heads and went down like a sack of spuds!!

Both unconscious, ball spilt forward game over. After the medics had been and both boys were ok I asked the FB what he was doing, the reply was...

'I wanted him to think I was a Cat so he'd try to hit me, he was too fast to catch'

SINGLE HANDEDLY THE BIGGEST ACT OF BRAVERY I HAVE EVER SEEN ON A PITCH!!!

And for the record I spoke to the coach later on and he confirmed the size difference...

188 cm 86kg v 144cm 39kg!!!!!

Cat??? Well you can guess what he really said!!

Gary Armstrong was phenomenal as was Gareth Edwards.

Peter Stringer was a master of the tap tackle. Probably the most impressive player I have ever seen for punching above his weight on a rugby field. Granted he got steamrolled on occasion because he was tiny but always got up and consistently took down guys twice his size.

Legend.

Don't remember Gary Armstrong, Googled him not too much info other than Scottish player. Gareth I have been told before form the am times, but he was also a league player too wasn't he? That would have taught him tackling in the days of non pro rugby I reckon

Jonny Wilkinson was a relatively small guy but could fair smash people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDq2OPXtZso

Ditto O'Driscoll...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCVCXiVecl4

That'll be that mechanical advantage...

Corey Jane's not a bad little tackler.

Corey's not that small though really is he? Nor is O'Driscol but he puts his body on the line. Oh yes, JW was a tackling terrier, and a small(ish) bloke as well

Jane is much bigger than the likes of Stringer, Aplon and Gregan.

Stringer was only 70kg or so wringing wet.

Simon Goeghan was a great tackler and was actually only around 13 stone.

ROG

As I just said on another thread young Dunky at Glasgow takes on anyone just wish he would tackle below the waist rather than taking on 6'10 head on.

Golden wrote:ROG

He would have made a great matador.

Daggs fairly slight yet showed Cuthbert the line with ease.

Jason Robinson

Laidlaw got one of the NZ forwards in the recent match. I think it was McCaw

Hore got one of the Welsh players recently...

That Scottish bloke, Richie-titchie Gray does all right too, so I'm told.

Never seen him play, but he even managed to score a try last year.

OzT wrote:Don't remember Gary Armstrong, Googled him not too much info other than Scottish player. Gareth I have been told before form the am times, but he was also a league player too wasn't he? That would have taught him tackling in the days of non pro rugby I reckon

OzT

Gary Armstrong was a moderately chunky and very tenacious scrum-half for Scotland and Newcastle during the 90s (Geordie Falcon will be along to sing his praises shortly). Often played a bit like a third flanker. Wasn't small for a scrum half (probably about 85kg) but certainly played above his weight in a similar way to BOD.

Gareth Edwards was never a league player, although it is rumoured that several RL team representatives turned up at his house in Cardiff with suitcases full of cash in an attempt to lure him north. He was just a physical freak (for the 1970s era he played in), blessed with the pace of a back three player and the strength of a back rower plus being a very good SH technician.

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Of course, Lewsey was not particularly big compared to his contemporaries (iirc, about 5' 10" and 90kg) but certainly liked the physicality of tackling. It shows though that being a good tackler is less about size and strength than about having the right attitude and technique. OK, so if you are Peter Stringer's size you will get run over a few times, but the thing is to get back up and keep giving it a good go.

Oh, and the best tackler in modern rugby under 75kg is Leeds and England RL player Rob Burrow - all 67kg of him.

Ulsters Paul Marshall can't be much bigger than Burrow .... he's a very strong defender too...

Burrows not one for the big hit though? More the around the ankles is that right?

Mossy ( Chris Patterson) was a very good tackler for not a big man

My favourite tackle of all time - the legend that is Mossy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ratc3RZpe4A

Remember this was when he was the wrong side of 30, and made up so much ground to catch Foden, who is absolutely lightning!

Perfect technique, perfect commitment - we need him back for Scotland!

Cheers dummy_half.

Well sorry, but I think all players so far are too big. Cept Jason, all the players are around 5' 10", looking for 5' 8" under...

Defo Rob Burrow though a terrier wouldn't put him in the class of Gregan of Jason.

So who was the Welsh legend round the time of Gareth that went to league? And I think he then went back to union after.

BOD

was that Ashton passing the ball????

Yes was a very good tackle, though even he had the ball in the right side there was no hand off... tch tch tch... but thought Ashton would've pinned his ears back rather than passing, after all, he is the winger!

OzT wrote:So who was the Welsh legend round the time of Gareth that went to league? And I think he then went back to union after.

Scott Gibbs?

Oz
Are you thinking of Jonathan Davies? Jiffy wasn't noted for the physicality of his game (in either code), but will always be a hero of GB rugby league for the try he scored in our win over Aus at Wembley in 94 (I was at the furthest corner of the stadium, close to where Shaun Edwards had committed the high tackle that got him sent off).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSCZ-qQTodQ

Can't remember the name now dummy. Wasn't there for 94, but was at the league world cup at wembley 95, and also the tour I think in 97/98, when the press was all about how this was the weakest aussie side ever and going get beat bad, by half time the enflish supporters were streaming out the ground. Also that game before th estart we were near the cornet flag, and I stood up and shouted aussie aussie aussie... cept my voice broke on the 3rd aussie and as my shrill voice ran cross the ground the good nature laughter that followed was just great!!!

But back on this thread, I think BOD is too large, got to be under 5' 8" and 80kg..

OzT wrote:Can't remember the name now dummy. Wasn't there for 94, but was at the league world cup at wembley 95, and also the tour I think in 97/98, when the press was all about how this was the weakest aussie side ever and going get beat bad, by half time the enflish supporters were streaming out the ground. Also that game before th estart we were near the cornet flag, and I stood up and shouted aussie aussie aussie... cept my voice broke on the 3rd aussie and as my shrill voice ran cross the ground the good nature laughter that followed was just great!!!

But back on this thread, I think BOD is too large, got to be under 5' 8" and 80kg..

fair enough. in fairness to stringer he wasnt too bad and he is the smallest man in the world

Stringer def fits the requirements, but I thought, or rather didn't think her was a tackler in the Gregan/Jason mode... Looking for little fellas who has hit the big uns hard

Chris Cusiter has literally concussed himself a handful of times knocking over lock forwards. Nathan Sharpe said it was like having a angry dog in his face.

Cusiter yes, defo a good call, thanks for that Carlin

Tom Youngs is a bit of a beast for wee man ( wee height wise anyway) and baths tom biggs (c. 5ft 8) has one of the best cover tackles in the AP which has partly given him the recent nod over wade in the EPS

Johny Wilkinson doesn't fit your criteria for being small but for his size he was one of the most devastating tacklers the world has ever seen. (hence a string of career threatening injuries)

Just looked up JW, he's 5' 10" Never thought that seeing him on telly, damn that English side must've been all giants!