Possibly the game of the weekend in the Air New Zealand cup was the tussle in Palmerston North between Manawatu and North Harbour. It went down to the wire, with some poor option taking and over eagerness at the end costing Manawatu the match 20-17.
We got to see two great textbook hits, one from each side. The first in this clip is on big All Black Sevens star, Lote Raikanbula as he cuts through the line. It looks like halfback Chris Smylie who actually puts in the hit, lifting him and driving him back to the ground, halting his progress instantly.
The second came from Manawatu replacement prop, the big Tongan Talau Hala. His was more of a hard hit, as he knocked back North Harbour eighthman Viliami Ma