Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam says belives scrum-half Harry Randall can be one of the best half-backs the club and England have ever had.
On the eve of the 2022 Guinness Six Nations, with Randall set to feature off the bench for England, Bristol confirmed the 24-year-old pocket rocket of a scrum half has committed his long-term future to the Bears despite significant interest in his signature from elsewhere
“Harry has been a big part of our growth as a team over the last four seasons on and off the field, so I’m delighted he has committed his future to ensure we continue to grow even further.
"He embodies everything that it takes to be a Bear. Since joining in 2018, he has defied the odds to develop into one of the most exciting players in Europe,” said director of rugby Pat Lam.
“What really pleases me about Harry is how many layers he has added to his game in the past four years; defensive tenacity, tactical understanding and real leadership qualities. He’s an excellent ambassador for the club and we are all thrilled he will continue to inspire so many in the years to come.”
Lam added: "I truly believe he will go down as one of the best ever halfbacks that has played here but hopefully for his country as well.
"He has that ability because of his mindset and because of his commitment to improve and that is what I am always looking for.
"To see where he was to where he is now, to how far he can go, is awesome."
And Lam's comments are not unfounded with Randall being named man of the match on his England debut last summer having established himself as one of the Bears most important players, bringing tempo and attacking threat with his quick tapping, high octane game.
At just t 5ft 8ins tall and weighing 74kgs, Randall is one of the smallest men in professional rugby, but has the explosive abilities to match the physicality of the best players in the game.
Lam said: "Working with him he is an inspiration to so many people being the lightest professional rugby player. "He is only 74, 75 kilos, but that size doesn’t matter.
"It’s about the size of the heart but that is channelled into technique. He can tackle because he knows how to tackle. That is one side of it, the heart takes it to another level.”
Since his arrival in Bear Country, Randall has notched 77 appearances and 15 tries, including a stunning effort in Bristol’s Challenge Cup final victory in 2020.
Randall added: “Staying in Bristol was an easy decision for me. I love the environment and the way we are trying to play rugby. It suits my game and I feel like I am continuing to grow and develop as a player.
“Representing England is a massive honour and I wouldn’t have had that opportunity without the trust Pat and Bristol put in me.
"I’m hugely ambitious and want to win trophies; the support and vision of the Lansdown family gives everybody confidence that we can achieve incredible things at Bears.”
