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Gallagher PremiershipBristolHarlequins

Semi Radradra returns as Bristol Bears and Quins name teams for Boxing Day clash

By Online Editors
(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Fijian superstar Semi Radradra returns to the Bristol Bears starting line-up ahead of the Boxing Day showdown versus Harlequins on Saturday. Radradra is set for his first outing of the campaign as Bristol visit the Twickenham Stoop looking for a third successive victory in the Gallagher Premiership.

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Pat Lam makes five changes from the line-up that beat Connacht last weekend. Radradra is the only change to the backline, while Yann Thomas, John Afoa and Will Capon come into the front row.

Dan Thomas is also named in the pack, while Steven Luatua skippers the side for his first Premiership outing of the season.

International duo Kyle Sinckler and Ben Earl are given a mandatory two week rest and won’t be available for the round four encounter.

BRISTOL BEARS TEAM VS HARLEQUINS:
15. Max Malins
14. Siva Naulago
13. Semi Radradra
12. Piers O’Conor
11. Ioan Lloyd
10. Callum Sheedy
9. Harry Randall
1. Yann Thomas
2. Will Capon
3. John Afoa
4. Dave Attwood
5. Ed Holmes
6. Steven Luatua (c)
7. Dan Thomas
8. Nathan Hughes.

REPLACEMENTS:
16. Bryan Byrne
17. Jake Woolmore
18. Max Lahiff
19. Joe Joyce
20. Jake Heenan
21. Andy Uren
22. Alapati Leiua
23. Niyi Adeolokun

Unavailable: Harry Thacker, Kyle Sinckler, Chris Vui, Ben Earl, Chris Cook, Sam Bedlow, Siale Piutau, Luke Morahan, Charles Piutau, Henry Purdy

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Meanwhile, Head of Rugby Paul Gustard made six changes to the Harlequins side that faced Racing 92 last weekend.

HARLEQUINS TEAM VS BRITSOL BEARS
1. Jordan Els
2. Scott Baldwin
3. Wilco Louw
4. Dino Lamb
5. Glen Young
6. James Chisholm
7. Will Evans
8. Alex Dombrandt – Captain
9. Danny Care
10. Marcus Smith
11. Ross Chisholm
12. Ben Tapuai
13. James Lang
14. Louis Lynagh
15. Mike Brown

REPLACEMENT PLAYERS:
16. Elia Elia
17. Santiago Garcia Botta
18. Simon Kerrod
19. Hugh Tizard
20. Tom Lawday
21. Martin Landajo
22. Lennox Anyanwu
23.Tyrone Green

Unavailable for selection:
Andre Esterhuizen, Joe Marler, Scott Steele, Joe Marchant

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Unavailable due to injury:
George Head, Craig Trenier, Will Collier, Matt Symons, Stephan Lewies, Luke Northmore, Paul Lasike, Michele Campagnaro, Nathan Earle, Cadan Murley

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Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jv 1 hours ago
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Where are the videos of these matches?

24 Go to comments
W
WW 3 hours ago
There's only one answer to the Springboks' fly-half conundrum

You can have 15 untouchable players come kick off, it's what happens between the start and end whistles that count, did they deliver is all that counts.

40 Go to comments
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SF 4 hours ago
There's only one answer to the Springboks' fly-half conundrum

Even our NZ friends will have to admit that you need a flyhalf that converts his kicks in big test matches, irrespective of you play an expansive game. Carter was a wonderful goal kicker and many forget that. Pollard is a superb big match goal kicker but he is ageing fast and is a shadow of his former self. Libbock is a magnificent playmaker but he does not have big match temperament. And he has a problem with his kicks. He has a glaring problem with his technique. I would blood Sacha now. Let him run the show and learn from his mistakes. He is a brilliant rugby player but he might make a mistake here and there. With Sacha at flyhalf you would see a whole different De Allende next to him. Pollard was younger than him when he was selected for the Boks the first time. Pollard on the bench to close out big matches. Like a closing pitcher in baseball. If Libbock sorts out his goal kicking it changes the whole issue.

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B 4 hours ago
Scott Barrett goes under the knife upon return to New Zealand

I hope Scooters injury mends well before the Bokkes away games…while I expect Los Pumas to offer some moderate opposition..it gives the AB's some breathing space for Darry or whoever is picked to get more valuable first grade game time experience..

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Petrus78 5 hours ago
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And keeping with longstanding tradition……Ireland got beaten in the quarter final…..lol

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SK 5 hours ago
The 'massive challenge' seperating All Blacks and Sprigboks transitions

SA will transition in stages. Through the PONI program they have already begun their transition. They will need to develop 15-20 players in the next three years and put 20 to 40 caps on each of these players while phasing out the guys no longer relevant. I reckon they have already started that with bringing in several youngsters or fringe players in and giving them caps. Then through their structures and alignment camps they have identified a group to select from going forward. Transition will happen in phases and I reckon this year we will see just a handful of new faces which we already have. The largest change will come in 2026 where you will see all 15-20 new players lining up regularly picking up caps. Whether its enough to win in 2027 is anyones guess but I would say they will be in a similar position to France heading into last years world cup. I think the teams most likely to peak in 2027 will be the All Blacks, France and England as they are already building around a young core and will be the most experienced and cohesive groups going into 2027. Ofcourse SA will retain a core group of their golden generation but whether or not they win in 2027 will depend on how they transition.

4 Go to comments
S
SK 5 hours ago
There's only one answer to the Springboks' fly-half conundrum

Libbok is the best all court player, he has the most slick distribution and knows how to put players in space but lets be honest, Libbok could not hit a barn door with a shotgun. He is really poor off the tee in any conditions that resemble a challenge. Mgomezulu has to play in the same team as him so he can kick for posts. Apart from that there is a real case to have Mgomezulu in because of his attacking quality. He has to be a fullback or a centre to support him or Faf has to kick but Faf is not a long term option because he is getting on in age. The ideal would be to have Nohamba in the team because now you have a kicking scrum half who is quite reliable with the boot and who has a crisp service but the problem is his defensive weaknesses are well documented. De Allende is all class but does he make the team at the next world cup? He will be 35 or 36 at that time and thats hardly a good age for a 12. The option for me is to shift Willemse to 12, let Mgomezulu play 15, and start Libbok. That will be the combo in 2026 that seems the most versatile and hopefully Nohamba comes along and plays 9.

40 Go to comments
J
Jmann 6 hours ago
The 'massive challenge' seperating All Blacks and Sprigboks transitions

SA must go through the same as the peerless 2008-2017 NZ team did. And although they have never reached the same heights as Rugby’s GOAT team. They will face the same fate.

4 Go to comments
A
Ardy 12 hours ago
Why decision-making must stay with the referee on the field, not the person in a room

The VAR was established based on a false premise that the decisions would be correct. All that has happened is another referee with their own biases comes to a different opinion. We need to accept that the referee with assistants are the final arbiters of the game and only use a video review in the case of tries. Installing this level of review shows up the complexity and difficulty of getting decisions accurate at all times. It is a waste of time and money in a game with more stoppages than most, it is very frustrating to those watching the game and that is what it was supposed to fix.

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JD Kiwi 13 hours ago
Why England should take Joe Marler’s advice and build for the future in the front row

Hi Nick, maybe the RFU coaches think that Asher Opoku-Fordjour isn't bulky enough for tighthead? I remember as a Sale fan thinking how small he looked coming on against Quins, expecting him to get mullered, only to be amazed at how well he held his own.

21 Go to comments
T
Tom 16 hours ago
A 2025 overseas British & Irish Lions XV

My first thought was “damn that's a good Lions backrow, Lawes, Willis, Simmonds” my second thought was “why the fk aren't any of these guys playing for England?!”

2 Go to comments
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Bull Shark 17 hours ago
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Ah. Hogg. The poster boy of the Lions. Who is he related to at RP?

2 Go to comments
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Tom 18 hours ago
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He doesn't have the instincts for it having played so much 15s, hence the best 15s player on the planet can't make the starting 7. He's capable of game breaking moments off the bench but his instinct is to play flat and put the other players on crash balls. He's still trying to play 7s like a 15s number 9. Can't actually believe Great Britain aka The Lions couldn't even qualify, what a joke. I wanted to see Adam Radwan play! :(

2 Go to comments
R
RW 18 hours ago
There's only one answer to the Springboks' fly-half conundrum

Improve the the chat, block Turlough

40 Go to comments
D
DP 19 hours ago
Melvyn Jaminet handed huge suspension and fine by France

Now lets see what happens to the two French “alleged” rapists in Argentina…

2 Go to comments
R
Rob 20 hours ago
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Good

2 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 21 hours ago
There's only one answer to the Springboks' fly-half conundrum

It’s all going to come down to kicking form. I suspect if Libbok shines up on his kicking in training he’d start with DW at 15 and SFM covering 23. Getting yanked if it’s a tight game. But it won’t be long until SFM is the incumbent 10.

40 Go to comments
D
DG 22 hours ago
Why England should take Joe Marler’s advice and build for the future in the front row

I’m surprised that Craig Wright isn’t getting a mention. His performances, throughout the World Champs were consistently great and his stats must be up there. He very active in the open and appeared to do a great job in the scrum, but I’m no expert!

21 Go to comments
R
RugbyAnalysis 22 hours ago
Why England should take Joe Marler’s advice and build for the future in the front row

Thanks Nella, a very interesting approach to the problems of front rows and the scrum in particular. I work as a data analyst for a club that is strongly based on a vertical style of play, and I have rediscovered the technical vitality of front row play and the radical importance of set pieces. The game is populated by hundreds of details that we do not perceive and that make the potential difference between winning and losing. In Argentina we call 'Mañas' these differential capacities that inhabit this type of player (´Tricks´ in English...?).

21 Go to comments
T
Turlough 23 hours ago
There's only one answer to the Springboks' fly-half conundrum

I think SAs problem is one of arrogance. Their boasting and goading before the Irish series was a perfect example of it. Ebens blood covered face is a good reminder of where lack of humility gets you. Hopefully they can proceed with more honour and less arrogance from now on. Pollard kicked 100% versus Ireland and still lost. Change it now.

40 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Why England should take Joe Marler’s advice and build for the future in the front row Why England should take Joe Marler’s advice and build for the future in the front row
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