Bristol dealt crucial blow as star centre faces surgery

Bristol Bears superstar Semi Radradra’s season is over after Pat Lam confirmed the Fijian will have an operation on his knee this week.

The centre is set to have a second knee surgery in 12 months, but on the other knee to the one he injured in the semi-finals of the sevens at the Tokyo Olympics back in the summer.

Radradra missed the first four months of this season after going through surgery on his other knee.

Director of rugby Lam confirmed the procedure has been brought forward with the Bears’ season effectively over after dropping out of the Champions Cup on Friday following their 29-35 defeat to Sale Sharks in the second leg of the last 16.

Bristol still have four games left in the Premiership, starting with Gloucester at home on Friday night, but sit 10th in the table and will now almost certainly miss out on Champions Cup qualification next season as well having left themselves with too much of a gap to close.

Fijian international captain Radradra, 29, has been playing injured for a couple of weeks but will now receive specialist medical attention.