If Pat Lam was in any doubt as to whether Harry Randall is true captaincy material, as he prepares to lead the Bears for the first time in a West Country derby, it was firmly cleared during a heated confrontation in training with Ellis Genge.
Challenged by the formidable face, fury and verbals of a raging ‘Baby Rhino’ over a disagreement during a drill at the Bears High Performance Centre last month, a younger, greener Randall may well have backed down under such a threat. But to Lam’s delight the scrum-half fired right back at his fellow England international before the two talked things out and settled their differences in the moment.
It was one of many signs over the last few months that have shown the Bears No9 not just to be a more all-round player, but also a more mature individual who's willing, able and happy to lead the team on the field; Bristol’s “Little General” as Lam affectionately calls him.
