Countless rugby players the world over have felt the full force of Fijian tackling, but, just occasionally, the islanders are given a taste of their own medicine.
It happened at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Argentina, with Wales’ Tommy Reffell the man administering the treatment.
Reffell connected with an emphatic hit on hooker Lino Mairara.
Some would have likened it to a hammer smashing into an apple. Certainly, those who went to check on Mairara’s well-being might have been tempted to start by looking for the pips.
Reffell, who you can read about here , is having a big tournament. He is one of three Wales players who feature prominently in the competition's official tackling stats.
Australia flanker Harry Wilson heads the list with 48 hits, ahead of Reffell and Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler, who have each halted 46 attackers.
Next comes their team-mate Jac Morgan, who is joint-fourth with Georgia’s Ioane Iashagashvili, the pair having put in 41 tackles.
There is a case for arguing the Welsh players have been the most effective defenders, with Thomas-Wheeler and Morgan missing just two tackles each and Reffell three, compared with Wilson letting eight ball-carriers past in his last two outings.
Wales hooker and skipper Dewi Lake had a strong carrying game against Fiji, with his 11 runs yielding 33 metres, while Ioan Davies and Tomi Lewis made eight clean breaks between them.
Morgan and Thomas-Wheeler were also excellent in repelling the islanders, who lived up to the traditions of Fijian rugby with wonderful handling and a willingness to run from anywhere.
But Reffell stood out with his non-stop aggression.
He made 16 hits and didn’t miss one, operating at the very edge of his fitness levels.
As the openside gulped in air with hands on knees after achieving a turnover with barely a minute to play — Wales were miles in front, yet he was still playing as if the match were on a knife-edge — the referee took time out to pat him on the back. If it was congratulation for his performance, it was well-deserved.
Asked about his hit on the Fijiian No. 2, Reffell said: “They put in a big shot on one of our boys — it was a physical game all round.”
On the day, no one was more physical than the Pencoed RFC product who now plays for Leicester Tigers.
Wales won 44-28 and face New Zealand in the knock-out stage next Monday.
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