'Dombrandt looks a proper athlete now... he's stripped down again'
The Rugby Pod has paid tribute to the incredibly entertaining style that Harlequins have continued to play now that they are defending Gallagher Premiership champions, Marcus Smith, Louis Lynagh, Tyrone Green and Alex Dombrandt all recipients of kudos on the latest show in the wake of last Friday’s demolition of Bristol.
Having swept to their first title last June since 2012 and having also appointed a new head of rugby in Tabai Matson, it would have been understandable if Harlequins encountered an early-season adjustment to life as champions under a new boss.
However, there has been no let-up following the title-winning drama of last season, Harlequins winning all three of their games so far in the 2021/22 campaign to leave them in second place, three points behind leaders Leicester who have played a game more.
Their most impressive display unfolded last Friday at The Stoop where they sauntered back from being 21 points down to defeat Bristol 52-24 in a fashion that was even far more swashbuckling than their extra-time win over the Bears in last June’s semi-final after they fell 28 points down.
Rugby Pod duo Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton were most impressed and while they have their fears over what the loss meant for struggling Bristol, they giddily doled out the compliments to Harlequins, suggesting Smith should be made England captain, that Lynagh will be a long-term England winger and that Dombrandt has taken his game to another level having finally earned his Test debut cap in July.
'Coming into a professional environment it’s probably a wake-up call'
@alex_dombrandt had to shed 10kg when came to @harlequins He talks to @heagneyl ??? about uni, the assaults that nearly ended his career, England and why Gussy is off-limitshttps://t.co/PxmwYDAJOx
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 31, 2021
Goode said: “Quins were a little bit shell shocked and then Marcus Smith, make him England captain, they bring him on. They score 50-odd points from when he comes on. I feel sorry for Tommaso Allan. Poor bloke, he has gone off, they are 21-0 down, Marcus Smith comes on, you ain’t ever playing again Tommy unless Marcus Smith is away with England because he was ridiculous. His touches, ball in hand, going to the line, feeding people, kicking game, absolutely ridiculous. If he ain’t starting for England as first-choice ten in the autumn, Eddie Jones, take a walk straight back to Japan or Australia because he was world-class, out-and-out world-class.”
Hamilton replied: “We love Bristol but there is a problem there somewhere. To go 21-0 up and then to lose a game again off the back of the semi-final from last year, it’s almost as if they have been found out. Play, play, play and there is not much else to their game which there is obviously.
“Is it back to the drawing board for a team like Bristol? It’s hard because we are still early in the season but momentum is everything. Fair play to Quins, you look at the backbone of that team now, young English players. Louis Lynagh, he might not be English but if he gets capped he will be.”
“He will (get capped),” chipped in Goode about the 20-year-old who was included by Jones in last month’s England training squad. “He has made the decision at the minute that he wants to play for England because he went into the England training squad and all this stuff. I did see last week the Australians are still going to ask him if he wants to have a conversation around coming back to Australia.”
Hamilton added: “His dad, Australian legend Michael, has obviously said to him you need to keep the door open, it’s a professional sport… but the more and more I watch him you think this kid could be playing wing for England for a long, long time.”
The final word on Harlequins went to Goode, who touched on the efforts of Green and Dombrandt. “The only thing I was disappointed in Quins was they took him [Lynagh] off. Leave him on to get a hat-trick because no doubt he would have scored it, but they were phenomenal. Tyrone Green at full-back, very small player, very slight, punches way above his weight. So hard to bring down in the tackle. They are just playing with excitement, with vigour.
“Dombrandt looks like a proper athlete now as well. People said before he had a uni body, whatever. He has stripped down again and he looks completely the real deal. You saw his offload for one of the tries. They are playing with a ridiculous amount of confidence.
“When your tighthead prop, who ain’t score in 134 Premiership games, throws a dummy and then sprints in from about 25 metres… no one from Bristol tackled him and I’ll be honest about Bristol, they are absolutely f***ed fitness-wise. They didn’t play any pre-season games, they flew out of the blocks and then shot their bolt.”
Great to hear from @URCOfficial's main man @MartinAnayi about the URC's journey, his vision for the future, the potential for a global club competition, what @RocNationSports are bringing to the table and if Jay Z is playing at the final ?
Spotify – https://t.co/yuO1f7dzBH pic.twitter.com/pkWhGvm4y7
— The Rugby Pod (@TheRugbyPod) October 12, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Good grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
1 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
63 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
1 Go to commentsI would like to see him say that to Eben face to face in a dark alley.
63 Go to commentsYep, lost in translation. There are arrogant people in Ireland, yes. As there are arrogant people in every country, but as a nation, arrogance is not a general characteristic in Ireland. There has not really had a strong representation for any global sport over the years, and hence arrogance is not endemic to Irish people in this regard. I seriously doubt that was said or meant by 12 or 13 players. If it was said, it would have been said in jest and to pay Etzebeth and the Springboks a compliment for how hard fought the game was.
63 Go to commentsOne of the few Bidwell articles I can agree with. If coaches played their players through niggles and consistently played them 80mins then you could make an argument for resting protocols - they obviously don’t and are incredibly responsible, let’s give up the resting nonsense and let the boys play.
2 Go to commentsDaniel Gallan, please for the love of all that is holy, stop writing about rugby. Or at the very least stop telling people you are South African.
21 Go to commentsThis Dr.Rassie 6-2 filth is spreading. We need to ask World Rugby to ban something
1 Go to commentsPity he couldn’t call him a liar to his face, such a brave man.
63 Go to comments“You ain’t counting to 12 or 13 straight after a game, son!” Just because you don’t doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t “I reckon if anyone said it they would have said, ‘Hopefully, see you in the final’.” Oh, you “reckon”, do you? You weren’t there, you weren’t part of the conversation but you know what was said… Id10T
63 Go to commentsNZ has such a rich history of quality number nines, and woman beaters.
1 Go to commentsThat’s what happens when you are scared of scrums
2 Go to commentsWhats interesting now is the evolution of rugby. More and more the laws are favouring the team in possession and the ball carrier. Teams can keep the ball for longer periods more than ever before with little risk and wear down defences as long as they don’t knock it on. Set pieces are seen as hindrances and as time wasting annoyances by law makers and they are being depowered as lawmakers strive for higher ball in play time. Perhaps its only natural then that teams will take a more assertive and aggressive approach in defence. An offensive defence as you said Nick. This may force errors and turnovers and help teams to break up attacking plays while providing counterattacking prospects. Perhaps we will see more and more teams adopt the blitz in the next 4 year cycle and beyond much like Gegenpress has met Tiki Taka in football. Instead of Pep and Klopp we will have Farrell and Nienaber.
25 Go to commentsArrogant entitled prick with a huge chip on its shoulder
5 Go to commentsApparently the only ppl Scotland can beat are their spouses…thank you / good night!
6 Go to commentsSo….who is Andy Goode?
63 Go to commentsEngland had to bed in their new defensive system while challenging for the 6N. The schedule allowed them to try and focus on defense for first 3 matches and then target Ireland (the pre tournament target match). A win in France would be a bonus.
1 Go to commentsJust from watching the highlights there was plenty to like and plenty to build on. Some of these boys will be Super players soon and they will benefit from the exposure. Sounds like the coaches have made a good connection with these young men.
3 Go to commentsDont know if the Irish players said it or not, but lets all be honest with ourselves, and hopefully both the Irish and French have healed by now, the Media did jump the gun, be realistic, according to 90% of the media it was a France and Ireland final, and the media had 1 of them winning the world cup, not even mentioning the All blacks? Just remember world cups are different, Australia was not the most in form cricket tean in the last cricket world cup, but they have a nack of winning when it matters. I wont go into whether what Etzabeth is saying is true, all I am saying is that its very easy for a team to get ahead of themselves due to the media. Nothing wrong with it, the media got the springboks over confident against England and we nearly lost that one.
63 Go to comments