Semi Radradra: Bristol Bears unhappy with Fiji over centre's injury

Semi Radradra joined Bristol from Bordeaux in November 2019

Bristol Bears will submit a formal complaint to World Rugby over an injury Semi Radradra picked up on international duty with Fiji.

The centre suffered a leg injury in the opening minutes of their 38-24 win over Georgia on Saturday but played the whole match.

He is now set to miss Bristol's opening two Champions Cup games.

Head coach Pat Lam said the decision to keep him on the pitch "didn't need to happen".

"He pretty much limped through most of that first half, then they heavily strapped his leg," he told BBC Radio Bristol.

"Fiji had control of that game, but he couldn't chase, he wasn't going at 100%. I thought he would come off, but they kept him out there for 80 minutes.

"What turns out as a dead leg that probably should have been iced and he would have been good to go this week, that 80 minutes of running around turned into a serious bleed when he got here, and the leg blew up.

"What's disappointing about it is that Fiji had that game won early."

Bristol, who made the Premiership play-off semi-finals last season, host Clermont Auvergne on Saturday before a trip to Connacht on Sunday, 20 December.

"We are disappointed. He is a big player for us. We will put in a formal complaint to World Rugby," Lam added.

"The reason we have people like Semi is that we sign these sort of guys for these big games - and Bristol are about to go into two weeks of the biggest games in their history so far - and for him not to be there in that sort of situation is not ideal.

"It was an avoidable situation."