Ranking the Biggest Hits in World Rugby for Weekend of January 22-24

This week we saw a double helping of Owen Farrell, a classic case of prop vs. scrum-half and a shuddering tackle that Ulster's veteran No. 10 Ian Humphreys will want to forget.

The end of the Champions Cup pool stage was do or die for a number of teams, but this week's compilation comes from games on which there was little resting.

Just goes to show, there's no such thing as a dead rubber in rugby.

5. Owen Farrell

Not content with making one vital intervention, Farrell was seemingly on a one-man mission to atone for the blunder he made when dropping the ball over the try line.

And at the death he epitomised Sarries' Wolfpack defence by hunting down opposite number Luke McAlister and burying the All Black (4:35), winning a penalty that he stroked over for three more points.

4. WP Nel

Glasgow's WP Nel is famed for his scrummaging power, and he put that strength to good use when Racing 92 scrum-half Maxime Machenaud tried to tackle him here.

The prop bounced the No. 9 off with ease (2:12) before being brought down by a larger colleague of the French international.

3. Dug Codjo

Oyonnax wing Dug Codjo made his presence felt on Ulster No. 9 Paul Marshall with a crunching hit that rattled the ball from the scrum-half's grasp.

Catch it at 1:00 of this compilation, and see what a full-blooded game this was, despite the cavernous margin of victory for the Irishmen.

2. Owen Farrell

Farrell's abiding memory of Saracen's win over Toulouse will be the ball he fumbled after crossing the try line untouched.

But he recovered from that red-faced moment to make up for the five points he blew by saving a certain five at the other end with this tackle on the home side's No. 6 Yacouba Camara, which you can see at 3:16.

1. Maurie Fa’asavalu

Oyonnax were thumped 56-10 by Ulster, but the drubbing did nothing to detract from the aggression of Maurie Fa’asavalu's defence.

The Samoan hit Ulster No. 10 Humphreys like a freight train, jarring the ball loose and forcing a turnover. It was clear evidence of his time spent honing this sort of hit in rugby league.