Problem - defending the kicker

Disclaimer - This post will be totally meaningless to anyone who is not a supporter, or has never watched a game of either code of rugby.

Saturday I went to Stanningley to watch my first NL3 game of the season, we do some minor sponsorship of Bramley Rugby League club so its only right that I should turn up now and again but I've been so busy this year that this was the first opportunity I got.

Anyway,

One problem in rugby is that when a player wishes to kick the ball upfield he is always very vulnerable to a late tackle from the opposition after the ball has left his foot, quite often the referee is following the flight of the ball and is unsighted when the kicker is hit late, and the kicker is also unprepared for a late hit and can often be badly hurt, while the tackler just claims that he mistimed his tackle.

I saw the ideal solution to this problem on saturday.

A Bramley player had put in a huge kick and as he landed we could see a Hemel player moving in on him, unfortunately this Bramley player has been hit late several times in the past and as he landed he made sure his elbow was raised at around, well around head height actually.

The Hemel player hit him hard but had obviously not seen the raised elbow which caught him right on the jawline.

He went down like a sack of spuds (as they say in these parts) and took no further part in the game and I understand was later taken to the A&E department at Leeds General Infirmary, I think its safe to say he won't be putting in any more late tackles on kickers despite what his coach tells him to do.

I love rugby league :)