Harry Randall is back in action for Bristol Bears after recovering from hamstring surgery ahead of schedule, and his return could not have come at a better time for club or country. The scrum-half made his 150th appearance for the Bears in their win over Newcastle last weekend, as Pat Lam’s side extended their winning streak to five matches and climbed to fourth in the Premiership table.
Randall, capped 14 times by England, is eager to catch the eye of head coach Steve Borthwick ahead of the Six Nations. He featured in England’s summer tour to the Americas and has maintained contact with Borthwick during his rehabilitation. “It was just a case of him reaching out and asking how my operation went,” Randall said. “I got a message off him again when I got back from injury last week, saying: ‘Good to see you back.’ I really appreciate those messages.”
The 28-year-old attributes Bristol’s recent form to a change in mindset. “We feel like we are a really hard team to beat now,” he said. “Defensively we’ve made improvements from last year.” He also praised the unseen work of the forwards, including Pedro Rubiolo and Fitz Harding, which allows the side’s attacking flair to flourish.
Bristol face Sale Sharks on Friday at Ashton Gate, where the visitors have won on their last three trips, including a 38-0 shutout just over a year ago. But Lam believes his team can now go “through, around or over teams”, with the likes of Ellis Genge and Louis Rees-Zammit posing constant threats. Randall added: “We’ve got players that can create something out of nothing. Gengey and Rees-Zammit are special players.”
Off the field, Randall’s life is consumed by his 21-month-old twin daughters, but he makes time for coffee shops in Clifton. His pre-match routine includes a Nando’s the night before a game. “It’s the protein in the chicken, and you want to get some carbs in to fuel up,” he said. With Bristol’s momentum building, the recipe seems to be working.
