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Brave Bristol come from behind to become ninth English Challenge Cup winner
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.
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.
OH MY WORD! That is how you start a European final @BristolBears 🤯
DO NOT kick the ball to Semi Radradra, you have been warned!
Breathtaking rugby right from the opening kick-off 🔥#ChallengeCupRugby pic.twitter.com/Ys54YhPQk2
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 16, 2020
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.
Just a bit of individual brilliance from Max Malins in European final 🙌
A big score for @BristolBears!#ChallengeCupFinal pic.twitter.com/jqgz0JDBXe
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 16, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Speell cehck
1 Go to commentsColeman is gaawwwwnnn.
1 Go to commentsnext SA head coach?
3 Go to commentsGreat try by van Poortvliet.
1 Go to commentsThey have been cruelled by injuries but almost nobody (Sevu Reece and Fletcher Newell big exceptions) has played above himself which regularly happened before. Surely Scott Robertson had maintained the recruitment programme and it looks like a reasonable squad. Last in this competition will stall a lot of careers. Penny seems likeable. But it’s not enough even though this was better. We haven’t been good enough and it’s not helped by the “it’s been 15 years since… “etc “after nearly every match. Seems somehow a soft gifting of something once valuable. Kieran Read giving comments last week almost choked describing the easy surrender of possession by the forwards. I’d love to think that the senior players some of whom are back can show enough pride in the jersey to test the Blues next week.
3 Go to commentsWho will Joe select for the back three with so many in form candidates? Just hope he doesn’t get shafted like Dave Rennie and to a lesser extent Deans.
6 Go to commentsAlways reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
3 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
6 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
5 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
5 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
6 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to comments