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Video: 15 seconds was all it took for Bristol to score Radradra-inspired try on Friday night

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by Tommy Dickson - Pool/Getty Images)

Challenge Cup final winners Bristol couldn’t have dreamt up a better start to their decider against Toulon than Semi Radradra producing some magic to create a try that was scored after just 15 record-breaking seconds at Aix-en-Provence.

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The Bears won the final on a 32-19 scoreline at Stade Maurice-David after they produced an unstoppable second-half surge to turn around a 19-13 deficit with 52 minutes gone in their first-ever European showpiece. 

Some wonderful pace from the try-scoring Max Malins and the precise kicking boot of Callum Sheedy were pivotal to that successful comeback, but there was no getting away from the wow factor that Bristol had produced right from the kick-off when scoring the quickest try in European rugby history.

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Radradra gathered the Toulon kick in the 22 and the Fijian centre attracted the attention of three players as he looked inside and ran towards the left touchline, pulling Bryce Heem in 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. He then gave scrum-half Harry Randall the assist to allow him to scamper 40 metres to the line to open the scoring.

The response the try ignited on Twitter was in keeping with the praise continuously heaped on Radradra ever since he made his summer move from Bordeaux and made a Bristol debut in August. 

Radradra continued to be a major influence in the final, nearly having a second try assist to his name in the first half but for a forward pass ruling out a score for Joe Joyce. 

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The Fijian’s night didn’t end on the pitch, though. He missed the closing stages with a leg injury that rugby fans will hope won’t prevent him from starring for Fiji in next month’s Autumn Nations Cup. 

 

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Bull Shark 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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