Harry’s out to be prince among the new No9s
CONFIDENT No.9 Harry Randall believes ambitious Bristol provide the perfect platform to showcase himself as one of the potential successors to England’s Ben Youngs and Danny Care.
Randall swapped Gloucester for Bristol last summer, to the frustration of his old club. However, the move looks an astute one by the former Hartpury graduate, who has become a Premiership regular and is thriving in competition against the nation’s best.
Bristol recently hammered Youngs’ Leicester with Randall at the helm, and the 21-year-old told
The Rugby Paper: “It’s very satisfying to be going head-to-head with guys like him.
“At first it seems a bit weird because you see someone like Ben on TV from a young age and then, suddenly, you’re on the same field opposing him, but that’s part and parcel of being a rugby player and it’s down to how you deal with those situations.
“You’ve got to stick with your team, stick to what you do best and that’s how you come out on top.
“I like to think my speed of ball, awareness and getting the ball away from breakdowns is the best part of my game – and the style of play at Bristol suits me. We like to play a fast, expansive game which is how I like to play my rugby, so it’s working out well.
“I’d also like to think I can play at a higher level one day.
“We’ve got a very strong team here now and, with goals we’ve set, (rugby director) Pat Lam’s giving us a lot of opportunities to push on and reach those goals and any personal targets we might have. “Pat wants to see local, English guys in the England squad and I believe Bristol is a place where I can achieve that – hopefully over the next few seasons.” Randall failed to feature in the Premiership for Gloucester in the face of competition from Willi Heinz, Ben Vellacott and Callum Braley – a situation that prompted his move. Randall explained: “The conversations I had with Gloucester were around the plans they had for me and it just came down to my personal decision. They weren’t selling me a dream or anything like that, it was just a decision on what was best for myself. “I made good progress at Hartpury in National One and the Championship, but I needed to make that next step into the Premiership and Bristol offered me that chance, although there’s still tough competition here with Andy Uren and Nic Stirzaker.” While an England call may still be some way off, the early indications from Randall’s first full Premiership season is that he has the talent it takes.
Randall adds: “There are still aspects of my gamemanagement I’m trying to improve but there’s no substitute for playing and I’m always trying to pick up little tricks or tips from other guys.
“I watch a lot of rugby, I’m always learning and when you’re playing against people like Youngs, Care and Faf de Klerk – one of the best No.9s in the world right now – where better to learn your trade because that’s the level I’m aspiring to reach.”