Rugby player's ultimate gift gaffe! Brixham centre slides in for try but crosses wrong line before he's smashed by defenders

Brixham centre Tom McLean will think twice before beginning his try celebrations after the ultimate gaffe in Saturday's all-Devon National League 3 South West clash with Barnstaple. 

McLean, who according to his profile on the club website is nicknamed The Gift, gave his opponents a late Christmas present when he stylishly slid over what he thought was the tryline, only to soon discover he'd come up several yards short. 

Torrential rain before and during the match at Pottington Road provided The Fishermans' No 13 with the ideal conditions for a memorable finish for the try, and after his slide McLean began celebrations as expected.  

Brixham's Tom McLean (left) begins celebrating what he believes is a try against Barnstaple on Saturday

The outside centre goes for a stylish sliding finish for his 'try' in the National League 3 South West clash

But instead of his Brixham teammates running to help him celebrate, he was smashed by a wall of Barum defenders who couldn't believe their luck.

In such quagmire conditions, tries were as expected hard to come by and McLean's break only came about when the hosts chanced their hand after forcing a turnover with the centre claiming the intercept.  

Only making matters worse, Brixham ended up losing the match 6-0, meaning a converted try would have been enough to reverse the result against the top of the table side - Brixham are fourth. 

Having left Chiefs defenders in his wake, McLean in fact put the ball down several metres short of the line

As the centre nicknamed The Gift gets up to celebrate, Barnstaple players realise his incredible gaffe

Play continues as Barnstaple are able to repel the ensuing attacking raid by their coastal rivals Brixham