Social Media Moments of the Week: Kalaveti Ravouvou and Hoskins Sotutu provide outrageous assists

By Charlie Elliott

Rugby never fails to deliver, with this weekend proving no different. 

With so much rugby being played and everything being caught on camera, the sport brought the good, the bad and the ugly. 

Social media is the main place for these moments to be found, with endless discussion and analysis on every talking point. 

To be up to date with social media is to be up to date with the rugby world, with so much going on. 

From away ends being introduced to some of the worst theatrics ever seen by Nolann Le Garrec, it was an event-filled few days. 

Here are some of the biggest moments from this weekend that you can’t miss. 

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Kalaveti Ravouvou Assist 

Kalaveti Ravouvou delivered one of the most outrageous assists of the season for Bristol Bears. 

The centre was tackled and went to ground before catching everyone by surprise and throwing the ball behind his back to assist Gabriel Ibitoye on the wing. 

Not only was it behind the back, but it was also a no-look pass as his eyes were firmly facing forward. 

Harlem Globetrotters esque, the move was brilliant to watch and was typical of the free-flowing Pat Lam attack that Bears have played with this season. 

Premiership Away Ends 

Saracens v Gloucester saw the introduction of an away end in English rugby, which has split opinion amongst fans. 

Some have seen it as a necessary step to improve atmospheres in stadiums and make it a more passionate sport. 

While others have seen it as the sport going away from the traditional values of camaraderie that make it so good, and going down a slippery slope to become the unfriendly atmosphere sometimes found at football grounds. 

A rugby tour dressed mostly in double denim were the majority of the noisemakers in the away end, with some chants that were not very PG to say the least. 

While it definitely helped the noise in a usually quiet StoneX Stadium, some believe that it came at the cost of the welcoming nature that makes the sport enjoyable. 

Nolann Le Garrec Theatrics 

Nolann Le Garrec has come under rightful scrutiny on social media for some of the worst theatrics ever seen on a rugby field. 

He was not even touched by the opposing player and went down holding his face, clearly in an attempt to fool the referee. 

Luckily, the referee saw right through it, but it was a move that shouldn’t be seen in rugby. 

0/10 rating from the judge for that dive. 

Smith Goes Post-Bar-Post 

How’s your luck, Marcus Smith? One of the unluckiest moments in Premiership history came when Smith’s conversion hit the posts four times before coming out. 

It hit the inside of the post, then the crossbar, then the other post and then the crossbar again before dropping on the wrong side. 

Fly-half Smith has had a tough year, being dropped from his ten shirt in the Six Nations and struggling at club level with Harlequins being hyper-reliant on him. 

This is just another instance of the super talent being one of the unluckiest players on the planet. 

Hoskins Sotutu Assist 

Ravouvou wasn’t the only player with a superb assist this weekend, as Hoskins Sotutu delivered a beauty for the Blues in their loss against the Crusaders. 

A few metres from the try line, he flicked a pass behind his back, which bounced before being collected for the try. 

Such an outrageous move takes immense skill and bottle to do, especially in such a big game. 

Some have called it a fluke, but most have simply appreciated the brilliance of it. 

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