Harry opens up on the dilemma he might face
The tough choice that could be facing talented scrum-half in the first few weeks of the year:
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DUAL-QUALIFIED Harry Randall has opened up on the Wales-england dilemma that could be heading his way in 2021.
Bristol Bears’ in-form scrum-half is eligible to play for both countries – England by birth and parentage and Wales after spending more than 10 consecutive years living this side of the River Severn as a child.
He views himself as English. But the youngster who launched his career with Tycroes RFC and also played for Amman United, the club where Shane Williams started out, still retains a deep affection for Wales to the point where he concedes any call would be a hard one to make.
“Absolutely it would be a tough decision,” Randall told the Daily Mail. “I do see myself as English, but Wales has a place in my heart.”
The question is whether Wales will put his allegiance to the test.
They already have a number of high-class scrum-halves, including Gareth Davies, Rhys Webb, Tomos Williams and Kieran Hardy.
But that Randall is a quality player is not in doubt.
He is the man who ensures Bristol Bears operate at a high tempo, flicking out more passes this season than any other No. 9 in the Gallagher Premiership.
The diminutive 23-year-old doesn’t just act rapidly. The product of Llandovery College also thinks quickly and orchestrates play. He is a game controller.
His skills were honed in Carmarthenshire after his parents moved to the Amman Valley when he was just four years of age.
“My first very local club was Tycroes, the village I lived in,” Randall said. “And then I played for Amman United, which is famous for being Shane Williams’s local club.
“There was a lot of excitement around that, and it was good to be part of a little club who had someone playing at international level. It was an inspiration for us at that level. I went on to play for Kidwelly too, moving around a bit playing with a few friends. It was a good experience being down there. Very enjoyable.
“While at Llandovery College I was in the Scarlets academy for a few years. At school, a few shirts from Alun Wyn Jones and George North were dotted around the place. It was good inspiration to know those boys had come out of that same college and to try to follow in their footsteps to some extent.”
In the year ahead it seems highly likely Randall will play Test rugby for someone. But it’s still not clear which country that will be.