Potential hit of the year in fiery Taranaki club rugby match

Hit of the year… or something a little cheaper?

The inter-city clash between New Plymouth old Boys and defending Taranaki club champions Spotswood United was a niggly affair, with yellow cards and big hits a feature of the match.

Did this tackle cross the line though?

Watch as Spotswood prop Sione Sifa, in red, rushes out of the line to smash first receiver, Old Boys, Taranaki and Chiefs lock Finn Hoeata.

Hoeata is hit across the knees as he catches the ball.

The hit looks spectacular, the only problem being that Sifa was so far offside he could have been playing in a different postcode.

Hoeata's career has been blighted by injury. He was left with a serious high ankle sprain and will miss the rest of the club season.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission