Former England, Bristol Gloucester, Bath and Toulon enforcer Attwood, below, describes flying Fijian centre Radradra as the best player he has ever seen – high praise indeed from a man who has been around rugby at the highest levels for the best part of 15 years.
“I’ve not seen anything like it,” Attwood tells The Rugby Paper. “When you think of Fijian rugby you think about the razzle, the ballast, the physicality and skills – and he can do everything. It’s like nothing you can imagine, he’s got the whole set of golf clubs.
“I played with him at Toulon two years ago so I know him better than most – enough to happily say he’s the best Rugby Union player I’ve ever seen. He’s absolute class and the great thing is he’s a lot more comfortable in the English culture than the French.
“He’s a lot more immersed socially with the guys here than he was at Toulon, and in training I’ve been really impressed. We were running moves the other day and out of nowhere he puts in a little chip kick, takes the ball at full tilt and everyone’s like, ‘wow!’” Attwood, 33, added: “You expect him to sidestep, run over a guy or deliver some sort of wild offload, but he did something different and it’s just incredible.
This story is from the August 09, 2020 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 09, 2020 edition of The Rugby Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
I'm loving every single minute
IN THE picturesque town of Pau nestled at the foot of the Pyrenees, Joe Simmonds has found more than just a rugby club; he’s found a new place to call home.
Scoring in Hell Fire Comer was great
SEEING Scottie Scheffler being presented with the Green Jacket for winning golf’s US Masters last week reminded me of the time I was presented with a red one having played my 100th game for Redruth. It might not have the same kudos in the wider sporting world but, for me, it is a treasured item from my four years at the club.
Defeated, but Ukraine show grit and pride
SWITZERLAND was always going to be Ukraine’s toughest match of this three Test series and so it proved.
Crane: Sinckler's an emotional guy
JORDAN Crane feels England have failed to get the best out of Kyle Sinckler during his international career, with the tighthead prop set to be unavailable for his country from next season as he heads to the Top 14.
YOUNG GUNS
Newcastle Falcons have endured a dismal campaign in the Premiership but tyro hooker Jacob Oliver believes the future is bright in the North East as he hopes to follow fellow academy graduates by breaking into the first team.
Hurricanes storm in despite triple yellow
HURRICANES overcame a poor second half in which they conceded three yellow cards to beat Fijian Drua 38-15 and stretch their winning start to eight matches to end their opponent’s unbeaten record at home.
JIFF looks likely to play a vital role
IT’S LOGICAL – as the final stop-start sprint in a hard fought Top 14 season begins – to think purely in terms of matches remaining, points potential, and table possibilities. In fact, with play-off and Champions Cup places up for grabs, and relegation to avoid, such thoughts are not just logical, they’re inevitable.
S Africa is crying out for its own league
IF I remember my A level geography correctly, Africa is moving towards Europe at about the same rate as your fingernails grow which, among other things, suggests that the wholesale, no holds barred, in for a penny in for a pound merging of British, European and South African rugby was a tad premature.
Lion who enjoyed a taste of Italy
ANDREA Gazzi’s grave lies on the Inner Hebridean island of Islay, a long way from the fish-and-chip shop he left behind in Gorseinon.
Furbank: We were spoonfed too much
GEORGE Furbank feels Northampton’s rise this season is down to a pre-season meeting when the players resolved to take more responsibility.