Lions wing Edwill van der Merwe makes try-saving tackle against Stade Francais.
VIDEO: Edwill van der Merwe pulls off sensational physics defying tackle
Lions wing Edwill van der Merwe defied the laws of physics when he made this try-saving tackle in their game against Stade Francais.
Lions wing Edwill van der Merwe makes try-saving tackle against Stade Francais.
Lions wing Edwill van der Merwe defied the laws of physics when he made this ridiculous try-saving tackle in his team’s Challenge Cup game against Stade Francais.
Wing Quan Horn crossed for a try double as the Lions produced a strong display to beat Stade Français Paris 30-12 at Ellis Park.
Andries Coetzee and Ruan Smith also went over for the hosts in Johannesburg, with Jordan Hendrikse adding 10 points from the tee as they remain undefeated in Pool B. This result though, was particularly special for the Lions, as it was their maiden victory in the European competition.
All that said, it was van der Merwe who had social media abuzz courtesy of his insane tackle to deny Stade Francais what looked to be a certain try.
On Twitter, one user described the tackle as “an optical illusion”. Another said the play was like “some sort of glitch in the matrix”.
As the video went viral and gained more traction, another Twitter user commented “this defied this laws of physics”, while another person said “it’s like watching poetry in motion”.
YOU CAN WATCH THE PLAY INVOLVING VAN DER MERWE BELOW:
You can recap the Lions match report below:
Stade Français were no pushovers in a particularly physical contest and dotted down for tries through James Hall and Léo Barre, but they were unable to make it two wins from two in this season’s competition.
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The Lions enjoyed a fruitful first half, with flyhalf Hendrikse nudging an early penalty before his excellent flat pass put Horn over in the corner for his first score around the 17-minute mark.
And after another Hendrikse penalty extended their advantage, more slick handling from the hosts saw Horn dot down again on 27 minutes.
However, Stade Français ended the half on top and scrumhalf Hall eventually found a way over the whitewash courtesy of a clever dummy five metres out.
The game was as physical as ever following the restart, but it wouldn’t be until the hour mark when further points were scored – the Lions produced more fantastic rugby to release fullback Coetzee, replacement centre Rynhardt Jonker creating the score with a surge through midfield.
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Flyhalf Barre finished well on 70 minutes to give Stade Français faint hope of late comeback, but replacement prop Smith powered over moments later to wrap up Emirates Lions’ win and secure the bonus point for his side.
The Lions and Stade Français go head-to-head again in Round 3, with the South African side travelling to Stade Jean Bouin on 14 January.
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