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Brave Bristol come from behind to become ninth English Challenge Cup winner

By PA
(Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Bristol Bears scored the quickest try in European Challenge Cup final history as they became the ninth English club to win the title after a 32-19 win over Toulon at Stade Maurice-David in Aix-en-Provence. Harry Randall scored the opening try of the game after just 15 seconds to give the Bears, playing in their first European final, a dream start.

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The Bears found themselves 19-13 down with 52 minutes on the clock but stepped up their game to secure victory with fly-half Callum Sheedy converting eight out of eights kicks for a 22-point haul to earn Bristol their first piece of major silverware since 1983.

Bristol arrived for their first European final without three key players. Charles Piutau was ruled out with a hamstring injury, No8 Nathan Hughes missed out with a rib problem and skipper Steve Luatua pulled out the day before the game to stay with his wife for the birth of their daughter.

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Exeter boss Rob Baxter talks to the media ahead of Saturday’s Champions Cup final

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Exeter boss Rob Baxter talks to the media ahead of Saturday’s Champions Cup final

Bristol’s sensational start came after Semi Radradra gathered the kick-off and the Fijian centre attracted the attention of three players as he looked inside and ran towards the left touchline, pulling Bryce Heem off his wing.

A brilliant pass out of contact to wing Alapati Leiua allowed the Samoan to race up the touchline to halfway before transferring back inside to the supporting Radradra. Scrum-half Randall then scampered 40 metres to the line to open the scoring.

Sheedy added the wide-angled conversion and then a penalty to make it 10-0 inside the first four minutes. Toulon were shell-shocked but quickly galvanised themselves and took full advantage of a dropped ball at a risky run-around move in the Bristol midfield near their 10-metre line.

Quick hands provided Heem with a simple run to the line and Louis Carbonel added the extras. Bristol thought they had picked up a second try shortly after Toulon had made a hash of the re-start. The Bears kicked a penalty to touch and then drove the ball over the line. Referee Andrew Brace awarded a try to hooker Harry Thacker but then had to rule it out when the TMO showed him that the ball had been dropped over the line.

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Carbonel levelled with a penalty in the 21st minute and then Bristol had a second try awarded on the field ruled out by the TMO. This time it was Joe Joyce who had his score rubbed out for a final forward pass from Radradra. Carbonel then gave Toulon the edge going into the break with two penalties in the space of four minutes to make it 16-10 to the Top 14 side.

Bristol brought on Jake Heenan to replace Chris Vui in the back row at the start of the second half and were then forced to replace Radradra after an hour. Sheedy and Carbonel swapped penalties in the early stages of the second half before the new Wales squad outside half brought Bristol back on level terms with two long-range shots in the space of three minutes.

Better was to come after Toulon lost a lineout in the 22 and hacked clear. Bristol countered from halfway and full-back Max Mallins sidestepped his way between the Toulon centres before running 40 metres to the line for a try that Sheedy converted.

Sheedy added two more penalties to complete the job and help to make up of the disappointment of losing to Wasps in the Premiership semi-final. However, Bristol could be propelled into the final against Exeter if Wasps fall to the outbreak of coronavirus that has placed their participation at Twickenham in doubt.

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The Bears were crushed 47-24 at the Ricoh Arena in last Saturday’s play-off but would be given a reprieve on the strength of finishing higher than Bath – the other losing semi-finalist – at the end of the regular Premiership season. Four Wasps players and three members of backroom staff produced positive results for Covid-19 last Wednesday and are now self-isolating, with the club also cancelling training for the week.

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J
Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 6 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 8 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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