Alex Dombrandt was virtually unheard of four months ago. On October 12, 2018, the Harlequins back-rower had zero professional appearances to his name. Fast forward to mid-February and he has rapidly established himself as a rising star in English rugby.
If you blinked you might have missed it. A quartered-jersey cannonball has been exploding through defences in England and Europe, and it came out of nowhere. In just 12 starts – the only starts of his career – Dombrandt has scored an astounding nine tries.
Harlequins Director of Rugby, Paul Gustard, spotted rookie Dombrandt’s potential very early in the pre-season: “Within three days of training this kid was a standout in terms of skill level, feel of the game and so on. Within three weeks we were considering him for contention for the Match (squad of) 23 in the opening game against Sale.”
As is turned out, Dombrandt did not make that squad. Nor did he get to lace up his boots in any of the next four Quins matches due to a pre-season ankle injury.
His professional debut ended up coming against Agen (European Challenge Cup) as a replacement. A fortnight later he notched his first career start (and try) against Bath. The 21-year-old has not sat on the bench since.
The table below timelines Dombrandt’s rise from obscurity to Premiership powerhouse:
| Date | Opponent | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 13 | Agen | Professional debut for Harlequins |
| Oct 27 | Bath | Run-on debut and first try |
| Nov 23 | Worcester | Gallagher Premiership debut |
| Dec 8 | Benetton | First European try |
| Dec 22 | Leicester | First Gallagher Premiership try |
| Dec 29 | Wasps | Big Game 11 man of the match |
Dotting down tries at such a prolific rate is remarkable on several levels. Firstly, he is a forward. Typically, players in the backline get the larger share of the five-pointers, but Dombrandt’s nine place him alongside centre Joe Marchant as co-leader for Quins.
Note that Marchant has spent over six hours longer on the pitch than Dombrandt this campaign according to the team’s website.
“It’s a great record,” says Gustard. “Alex is one of these guys who has a knack of scoring, the ability to be in the right place the right time. He has a willingness and a want for the ball and he cuts good lines from out to in. He’s also a big guy at over 120km. Five metres out from the (try) line he’s a tough tackle.”
Indeed, Dombrandt has scored tries sledgehammering through defenders from close range, but he has been far from one dimensional. The rookie has also scored from support play after a line break, set pieces—including both scrums and lineouts, and even from an intercept and 40-metre dash to the line.
Then there is the timing off his tries. Twice he has scored in the 80th minute of games (against Leicester and Grenoble), while another one came in the first minute (against Wasps). Whether it is early in the contest or late, Dombrandt is proving a major handful.
It has not just been about finding the white line, either. A recurring theme for Harlequins has been Dombrandt’s pumping thighs and meaty torso bumping off defenders and giving his side front-foot ball to play with.
He has also shown sympathetic hands to provide some delicious offloads for his teammates. Twice Dombrandt has recorded try assists through promoting the final ball to hooker Max Crumpton after an attacking set-piece lineout.
The automatic riposte to praise for Dombrandt may be questions over the standard of his opposition so far. Sure, not all of Dombrandt’s opponents have been world-beaters. Benetton are not one of Europe’s sexier teams, and three of his starts have come in Premiership Cup games where clubs tend to water down the strength of their team.
However, this would not give the full picture. In more recent outings he has faced a step up in class and not taken one backwards step. In fact, he has gotten better.
Dombrandt was omnipresent in Harlequins’ scalping of the previously undefeated Exeter Chiefs on November 30. A few games later he was at it again at a packed Twickenham. In front of 80, 000-plus patrons at the home of rugby, the newcomer turned in a Man-of-the-Match performance against arch rivals Wasps. If you have any doubts about whether he can to rise to the big occasion, you shouldn’t.
Inevitably, the pundits have started to take notice too. Writing after the Exeter game, Sky Sports commentator and former England international Stuart Barnes heralded Dombrandt’s future representing the Red Rose with these comments in The Times:
“Against one of the top two sides in England, Dombrandt delivered a performance that was tailor-made for the way that England play. His dramatic carrying game is made for Jones and his team. Thinking of how England want to play, I’d say it would be insane to ignore him.”
Barnes was spruiking Dombrandt’s prospects of earning his ticket to Japan for the World Cup later this year. Cracking the England squad after their terrific start to the Six Nations seems a little bit further off now, but there is still plenty of time.
Alex Dombrandt has been a standout for Harlequins. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)
Gustard would not bite when quizzed on his firebrand’s chances of a call-up, but believes the only way is up: “What pleases me the most is his attitude to want to learn to want to get better. This is a kid who six months ago was still at university. I’m very happy with his progression (and) I still believe there is more to come from him.”
Time goes fast in sports sometimes. From anonymity to try-scoring phenomenon to England prospect in less than half a year has been an almighty leap forward. Alex Dombrandt is a name you are bound to see more and more.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yep, whatever you say Neil. Don't forget to get along and watch those baa baa matches...at a club right near you.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
My, what a short and convenient memory you have. Only days ago I reminded you of that very thing. This reminds me of the time you laughingly couldn’t accept the comparison of international players workloads despite being spoon fed the data. Keep calling people out for not accepting your reality if you like, but don’t act all indignant when they stop taking you seriously.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
‘You’ve added nothing in your posts.’ Bwahahaha, you’ve added nothing for months. Just the constant self-pitying repetition of rants based on zero knowledge, research or logic. You are the gift that keeps on giving, though.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Interesting, cos youve always struck me as thick. Sorry, didnt read the rest. youve added nothing in several posts.like your rugby, your commentary on the wider aspects of the game are limited. Good luck with wales, though this side shouldnt need it. Neil mentioned again the cauldron of fear this match can bring. Interesting how the lesser sides respect eachother. Oddly, since 1954 we seem to have managed it ok. Dont see the fuss bar the odd close one. Lets hope they dont stuff it up. huh. Leave you to it on this one. I think our points are well made.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
You’ve never struck me as thick, so I presume your illogical rants must be due to some hormonal imbalance. It’s precisely because we’ve got 12 large club squads to fill who all want to be as good as Leinster, that the net is cast wider. If NZ had 12 squads to fill who all want to be as good as the Crusaders are now, what do you think they’d do? The point is depth for the England national team has never been greater. So we’re getting the best of both worlds and moving from strength to strength. Perhaps, sort your own competitions out rather than bleating about others. You’ve had mass migration from the Islands for decades and an aggressive ‘scholarship’ policy in case any have been missed, and you’ve only got five franchises to fill. If you struggle well, Oh dear, how sad, never mind.
taylorman
Roar Guru
And what % of your clubs are from under 20s? Why are you still draining from the south in bucketloads if your youth is so comprehensive. Reason, theyre not good enough. There are enough players from the SH to put three or four sides at least into your 6N and have a good chance of winning it.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
Bwahahahaha. About 80% of the England squad came through the age group teams. Why do you continue to spout on topics you know nothing about? Surely, personal pride would encourage you to do some basic research?
taylorman
Roar Guru
Glad you admit it then. First steps are good. Pity we’ll never see and England side that can stand up on its own. If your side and under 20s are so good why would you need Shields in your test side? Useless.
taylorman
Roar Guru
The calls are happening daily. Youre under 20s are not converting profesional depth enough to not need imports. Nowhere near it.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Maybe, who cares. But the sook Hanson chucked was priceless!
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
England made the last six U20 finals. Your boys made only the last two. I reckon that's a decent enough foundation. Don't you go waiting up for that call.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Good South London boy and childhood supporter of the Quins. Did his study at Cardiff Met and as part of a storming Uni side caught the attention of Welsh U20 selectors. Despite no Welsh roots was eligible to play due to his residency - knowing he'd get exposure to international rugby and wouldn't suffer disqualification to future England selection (that's the go with U20) he took it. Study finished and now back in London and with Quins. I don't think Wales could full cap him - but equally, don't think he's interested.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Who cares about Shields? He was fringe for years, at best. Your lot put him straight in. Dont kid yourself, you needed him far more than we did.
taylorman
Roar Guru
One under twenty side is not depth. How is one team going to fill the positions needed by the excessive number of clubs you have. Answer. It aint. Our players will. You have the number of clubs you do because you can afford to import. Remove them, and you have nobodies to fill them. But within all that, with all those players that leave our test and Super sides…we replace everyone of them. You? Pfff. On the phone again.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
‘Geez, there’s no end to this New England talent, is there?’ Doesn’t seem to be, mate. Under 20 RWC final after final, year after year. I don’t know where these kids are all coming from given it’s a minority sport and most schools don’t play it. Remarkable really...wow, what a country, eh?
taylorman
Roar Guru
Well I know what youre going to do. Youll pick up the phone and dial this way. Oh, you already have. One under 20’s team does not provide the foundation for an entire professional club comp. How many club sides do you have? And what percentage of your club sides came from england under 20 sides. Ill be nowhere near the number of SH players.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Nothing to do with your personnell, its the fact that they now play in a comp heavily influenced by SH players, tactics and coaching. Thats bound to rub off, even though its been at true snail pace. You dont even have a single internationally successful coach and havent had for years. Lancaster bombed, and gave way to immediate success in Jones. We supply our own Super rugby coaches, the Japan coach, the ABs coach, and two of the six 6N coaches, Jones another. We also have several in your club comps. Where are yours? Limited to club comps only? None are here. None are coaching test sides bar Scotland. Where are they? Truly embarrassing. Not you fault FB, your success has nothing to do with you, so you dont need to worry.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
...and yet Brad Shields, the only player with previous regular SR experience in the England squad won’t be in the England squad from 2020 onwards because he’ll be behind 5 players in the pecking order, 4 of whom will be under 23. I wonder if Brad would agree about the lack of depth. Shame about Auckland’s ground, though. I hope that...actually, sorry, I can’t keep pretending, I really couldn’t give a toss.
CUW
Roar Rookie
@ Neil Back He played for Wales under 20 in 2017 right? im curios if Wales have marked their Under 20 as the next team to the test team - thus making players ineligible for other country? or are these things no longer applicable? anyways - what stops Wales from capping him - like they did with Dai Young's son?
FunBus
Roar Rookie
Bwahahaha, if England win the RWC it will be due to the SH providing their player spine. And yet in a 60 man England squad the grand total of 2 have played professional rugby in the SH and one of those you poached from Fiji. Thanks for all the help, mate.