Bears on top as Randall puts on a show for Eddie

BRISTOL s c r um- hal f Harry Randall was impressive in front of the watching Eddie Jones as his side leapfrogged Exeter at the top of the table.

The 23-year-old is eligible for England and Wales — and did himself a favour here by scoring a try and nearly making a miracle score for flanker Ben Earl.

It was a second loss in a week for Chiefs, who face the prospect of a real fight to retain their title.

Semi Radradra’s try after 69 minutes proved the game-breaker for the Bears as the Fijian centre piled over after a mountain of Bristol pressure.

Earl had another storming game. He has been capped eight times by Jones already, while Randall is still in international limbo.

But Pat Lam, the Bristol director of rugby, insists Randall is ready to make the leap to Test rugby whoever he plays for.

‘He has got the skillset to play at the next level if he keeps working,’ said Lam. ‘I can’t control Eddie’s decisions but all I know is he has gone from strength to strength. Pound for pound, he is the toughest rugby player around. He’s only 70kg, but it is not the size — it is what you do with that size.’

Exeter were guilty of giving away too many penalties early on.

Director of rugby Rob Baxter said: ‘ I made excuses for the players last week. I hoped they would be better after a slap in the face and I thought we were but we did not capitalise on our opportunities.’

Prop John Afoa and No 8 Nathan Hughes both went close in the build-up to Radradra’s score, made by a neat pass by inside centre Piers O’Conor after the forwards had done the hard work.

Bristol had gone close when Earl was just beaten to the ball over the line by Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, after Randall’s break and kick.

Bears, who got over the line first on 15 minutes after skipper Steven Luatua won a line- out, shifted the ball to No 8 Nathan Hughes and Randall emerged from a pile of bodies with the ball.

Bu the scrum continually needed resetting and r e f e r e e Kar l Dickson lost patience when he yell ow- carded Bristol’s Jake Woolmore and Exeter’s Harry Williams to try to speed the game up.

Chiefs levelled it just before the break, at 7-7, when lock Jonny Hill went over from short range after No 8 Sam Simmonds had gone close. But Radradra nailed the game and Callum Sheedy’s second penalty denied Chiefs a losing bonus point.