The Best Hits And Biggest Brawls In Kangaroos Vs Kiwis History

New Zealand and Australia face off in an historic rugby league test match in Perth on Saturday night. To get in the mood Jamie Wall presents some of the best hits and biggest brawls in the history of this bitter rivalry.

When it comes to Kangaroos vs Kiwis test matches we could talk about the incredible tries. The thrilling finishes. The big showdowns that lived up to the hype and more.

But today let us celebrate the glorious shoulder charges, brawls and outright intimidation that has made these two teams squaring off against each other into appointment viewing.

1982: Kevin Tamati levels Rohan Hancock
You only had to get back five metres in 1982, but that’s all the Kiwi prop needed to destroy his opposite number. This textbook shoulder charge sent Hancock horizontal and is perhaps this is what made Tamati a marked man in years to come.

1985: Chain link fence brawl
Tamati was back in the action three years later, this time responding to alleged racial taunts from Kangaroo prop Greg Dowling. After both being sent from the field, the two resumed throwing bombs at each other on the sideline, egged on by a hyped up Lang Park crowd thirsty for blood.

1986: The Kiss of pain
Even though fighting is usually reserved for the big men up front, wingers sometimes get themselves involved too. Kangaroo Les Kiss makes the most of someone being held down in this scrap at the Sydney Cricket Ground and delivers three sneaky uppercuts, before quickly exiting the scene.

1989: The only time you’ll see a Kiwi fly
‘The King’ Wally Lewis had a special disregard for New Zealanders. Unfortunately for Kiwi Darrell Williams, it manifested itself into an atomic level hit during the ‘89 level Trans-Tasman series. Williams is the first New Zealander to play on a premiership winning team, a Kiwi selector and NRL judiciary board member, but unfortunately this quick trip to the turf is what he’s most remembered for.

2005: Cameraman, Mason cop it big time
Two in one here from what at the time was a rare Kiwi win. First Aussie winger Matt King gets up and picks a fight with the wrong guy, sparking off a brawl that ends up claiming a camera as collateral damage. Then current Kiwis coach David Kidwell earns a standing ovation from the Mount Smart crowd for levelling Willie Mason with a colossal shoulder charge, after Mason had made the cardinal sin of laughing during the pre-game haka.

2009: David vs Cheap Shot Goliath
Grubmeister general Paul Gallen initially decided to try and decapitate Issac Luke with a swinging arm. When that missed, he worked over the Kiwis hooker, which naturally kicked off a brawl in which both landed a few on each other. However, the real highlight is human missile Adam Blair, so desperately keen to join in the fun he launches off his feet after a 40m run up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkkN8e3QI_A

2010: Brawl at the break
A heavy shot on Roos fullback Billy Slater to end the first half of the Four Nations final is what started this scuffle, with players coming from everywhere to try their luck with some wild punches. Kiwis lock Greg Eastwood channels his inner Les Kiss and throws an overhand right, only to retreat into the role of peacemaker moments later.

2015: Hit like a girl
The growth of women’s league in both Australia and New Zealand has been heartening over the last few years, however what’s really put them in the spotlight is that they love smacking the hell out of each other (except legally) just as much as the men.