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Watch: Semi Radradra runs in a try despite doing his hamstring
By Liam Heagney
Semi Radrada had no hesitation in putting Bristol before his own well-being on Friday night, the Fijian international managing to run in a European Challenge Cup try despite pulling his hamstring when approaching the 22-metre line at Ashton Gate.
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The Bears were trailing 13-17 in the 38th minute of the round-of-16 match at home to Clermont when James Williams embarked on a mazy run from inside his own half that bamboozled the visiting French cover.
On drawing the final defender, he popped an inside pass to the supporting Radrada and that put the Fijian in the clear. However, within a couple of strides of taking the ball, Radradra was seen wincing and slowing, but he carried on through the pain barrier to make it over the line despite getting tackled to score the try by the posts that was converted for a short-lived 20-17 advantage.
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Radradra was immediately replaced by Ioan Lloyd and there will now be fears that this latest injury could mean that the powerhouse midfielder has made his last appearance for Bristol. Beaten last weekend at Leicester, the Bears are unlikely to reach the Gallagher Premiership playoffs which means they have just three regular-season games remaining before Radradra’s end-of-season switch to Lyon in the Top 14.
Sale are due in Bristol on April 14, followed by an April 22 trip to Exeter and a May 6 home finale versus Gloucester. Director of rugby Pat Lam suggested to local media in the aftermath of the Clermont defeat that it was too soon for a proper assessment of the damage sustained by Radradra.
Even pulling a hammy won't stop Semi Radradra from scoring ?
But it'll be the last we see of him for @BristolBears tonight ?
Watch #ChallengeCupRugby live on @ViaplaySportsUK, @beinsports_FR & @FloRugby ? pic.twitter.com/1pNDI9BkLo
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) March 31, 2023
“It’s a hamstring. Fair play to him, he did it about 30 metres out and he could have stopped but he still worked his way to the try line to get the points. It’s a big loss losing Semi. He has been in very good form but we will hopefully see him before the end of the season.”
Despite some time-consuming injuries along the way, including a serious knee operation that left him waiting until December to get this season started, the 30-year-old has worn the Bristol shirt on 52 occasions, scoring a tally of 16 tries that Lam explained last month to RugbyPass would have been more but for his generosity when it came to finishing off guaranteed scores.
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“The big thing for Semi is his legacy is already locked in stone here in what he has done in the environment, the person he is, the standards that he set, the unselfish stuff he does,” said Lam at the time. “Some of the biggest things? You just have to look at how many tries he has gifted to other players, just handed a player the ball.
“That sums up who he is. He is very selfless and he spends a lot of time with players, young players. He is always thinking about how he makes people around him better, whether that is on or off the field. That is his legacy and that is something we have been privileged to experience. It is always going to be a privilege that Semi Radradra is always going to be a Bristol Bear.
“He has had a big impact here and the resilience and the toughness of the guy – the medics will tell you during the injuries that he had, a lot of players would not have made it because but because of who he is and his professionalism, that is why he has made it back.”
