‘I was cramping up in both calves’ -winning drop goal

Updated 09/12/2023 at 23:58 GMT

Callum Sheedy has revealed that he was in writhing pain from cramp in both his calf muscles as he struck the match-winning drop goal to help Bristol Bears start their Investec Champions Cup campaign on the right note. The Bears took until the fourth minute of overtime to come up with a winner, as Lyon led by one point as the clock turned red, but Sheedy’s heroics turned the tide for Bristol.

Bristol’s Welsh fly-half Callum Sheedy scores a drop goal to win the game during the European Champions Cup Pool 1 rugby union match between Bristol Bears and Lyon at Ashton Gate stadium in Bristol on December 9, 2023.

Image credit: Getty Images

Callum Sheedy revealed that he was in severe pain as he struck the match-winning drop goal that saw Bristol Bears leave it to the 84th minute to beat Lyon in the Investec Champions Cup at Ashton Gate.

The Welsh fly-half was accurate with all but one of his five conversions in the game as Bristol seemed to let the game slip away from them as Lyon produced a remarkable fightback to lead 34-33 as the clock turned red, but Sheedy had other ideas.

Sheedy’s last-minute heroics means that Bristol open their Champions Cup campaign with a valuable win, especially in their tricky Pool 1 that includes Union Bordeaux Begles, fellow Gallagher Premiership Rugby side Saracens, and Vodacom Bulls, who beat Sarries earlier in the day.

“I was cramping up in both calves, so I didn’t know it was going to come about,” Sheedy told TNT Sports afterwards.

“It wasn’t the cleanest strike I’ll ever do. It felt like it was in the air forever. Just relief, I think. The forwards had done an unbelievable job to get us five yards out, and then, it made it a pretty straight forward enough strike for me.

“I wanted to secure the ruck first and foremost, and then it clicked that a drop goal would be enough to win it. Slowly laboured back, and the forwards were outstanding – like they were all day – the maul was a massive part of that first half and building the lead. Fair play to the boys.

“I knew that the drop goal was probably going to be what was needed to win it. When I’d seen that we were skinny at the breakdown, I panicked, and went in. Then I was like, ‘Can I be somewhere else now?’. Thankfully, we got it in the end.”

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