Ranking the Biggest Hits in World Rugby for Weekend of December 18-20

Our pre-Christmas round-up of crunches and collisions is compiled from the weekend's Champions Cup action.

There were fewer shuddering hits than usual, but we have plucked some gems that offer up a mixture of try-saving and chance-creating in equal measure.

Charles Piutau's effort, for instance, is the epitome of offensive defence where his well-timed intervention wins possession and leads to a very handy seven points for Wasps.

Peter Betham, who tops this week's rundown, is at the other end of the scale, with a textbook tackle that undeniably snuffs out what looked to be a certain five points for Munster.

Here are your top five.

5. Zurabi Zhvania, Stade Francais

It was quite a match to remember for Stade's replacement prop, Georgian Zurabi Zhvania.

The big No. 17 was integral in the buildup to Josaia Raisuqe's try with a huge bosh up the middle that left his would-be tackler floundering (2:54).

Later on in the game, he used his power to shove away Jayden Hayward as he bullocked his way down the right-hand touchline for a memorable try that will no doubt be recounted around the Christmas dinner table.

4. Josaia Raisuqe, Stade Francais

Stade Francais wing Josaia Raisuqe will have harder opposition than Treviso to negotiate, but he made the most of his power in Stade's 40-14 win over the Italians with a huge charge into and through Tommasso Iannone to score a fine try (3:21).

He did not exactly have a head of steam up as he came into contact with the left wing, which makes the ease with which he smashed through him all the more impressive.

3. Steffon Armitage, Toulon

Steffon Armitage thwarted a move that threatened to go from end to end for Leinster as Toulon struggled to keep pace with the Irish side in the first half last weekend.

Ultimately, Toulon came surging back in the second half, but their job would have been all the harder had Armitage not made this hit on Leinster's Rhys Ruddock (3:50) to force a forward pass and quell an attack that had try written all over it.

His work was somewhat undermined by his brother Delon who put a rather lame off-the-ball shoulder charge into Leinster's Eoin Reddan in the same move that handed the Dubliners a shot at goal, taken with aplomb by Jonny Sexton.

2. Charles Piutau, Wasps

Wasps stuffed Bath at the Rec to remain right in the mix for progression from a tough-looking pool, and for their first try, they had a thumping hit from Charles Piutau to thank (16:47).

The New Zealander zeroed in on Bath No. 8 Dave Denton as the Scotsman tried to offload and jarred the ball loose for Joe Simpson to collect and feed to Eliot Daly to skate away for a try.

1. Peter Betham, Leicester

This is not so much of a bone-shaker but a certain try-saver all the same.

Munster's Francis Saili was clean through a hole in the Leicester midfield until the Tigers' Australian recruit Peter Betham caught up with him and hauled him down.

Betham's covering tackle allowed his players to get over the ball and turn it over for Freddie Burns to hoof it away from the danger zone.

Extra helping of Christmas dinner for that man in the team canteen this week.