Ranking the Biggest Hits in World Rugby for Weekend of December 26-27

Your belated big-hits Christmas present is here, with a pleasing combination of ball-stealing brilliance and bone-jarring physicality to see the year out.

There was tremendous action across all three of Europe's major leagues on the festive weekend, with bumper crowds turning out for some thrilling games.

They produced these five moments well worth watching more than once for their contrasting qualities, from some classic smash and grabs that switch defence to attack in a heartbeat, to try-saving tackles that defy the law that says a good big one will always beat a good little one.

Top billing, though, goes to a hit that shows some men—no matter what they have been through—still have scant regard for the concept of self-preservation.

Enjoy.

5. The Vunipola Brothers

Saracens kept up their 100 per cent winning start to the season and showed aggressive defence to be one of their key pillars.

Here it is demonstrated by England brothers, prop Mako and No. 8 Billy Vunipola, with a classic hit and rip that turned defence into  scoring attack.

Mako makes the initial tackle (0:34) before Billy weighs with his bulk to jar the ball loose from the Wasps player before snatching it up and launching his team on the attack.

The Kray twins would do less damage.

4. Matt Kvesic

This is one of the best "down-and-ups" you'll see all season in the Premiership.

It comes from Matt Kvesic, a natural openside flanker who will have impressed England coach Eddie Jones with this piece of work.

The Gloucester No. 7 tracked the Harlequins attack across the field before making his tackle on wing Tim Visser.

Then in a flash, the flanker is on his feet and legally pilfering the ball as the tackler without having to get back on his own side of the ruck first.

Not only is it a brilliant steal, it is worth seven points to his team as it sparked a breakaway down Gloucester's right wing that was finished by James Hook.

3. Cornell Du Preez

Edinburgh No.8 Cornell du Preez executed a textbook bump-off on Glasgow fly-half Finn Russell (0:35) to create a try for his side in the Boxing Day derby between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The South African was set free on the right-hand side and steamed head-long into the Scotland international to send him sprawling backwards before making a neat offload to Matt Scott for a run-in.

2. Tom Brown

The list of men to have stopped Taqele Naiyaravoro from five yards out is short. In fact, we're not sure there was anyone on it until last weekend.

That all changed when Edinburgh wing Tom Brown threw himself at the enormous Pacific Islander to deny him what looked like a certain try for Glasgow during the Boxing Day Scottish derby at Murrayfield.

Brown was heralded by his team-mates after the 23-11 win for the capital side, with flanker John Hardie telling the Edinburgh Evening News: "The wee man really put his body on the line and that’s the sort of commitment we need to win those games."

1. Duane Vermeulen

There was zero hope of preventing this try for Toulouse once they had carved open Toulon's midfield.

But that didn't stop their South African No. 8 Duane Vermeulen trying his best to smash Maxime Medard into the middle of next week as he crossed the line.

Vermeulen didn't stop the score, but he did hit his man so hard that he knocked himself clean out in the process.

This is a player who earlier this year underwent neck surgery that would have kept players with lesser powers of recovery out of the World Cup.

Vermeulen would not be denied, and he was one of the tournament's stars.

He moved to Toulon after the big show, and, far from opting for a handsome retirement fund in the Top 14, he has attacked his first season with Toulon with the same voracity he plays Test rugby.

It was uncomfortable viewing to see him stretchered off in a neck brace, but it would be presumptuous to anticipate a long lay-off for a player of his physical and mental fortitude.