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England's Alex Dombrandt becomes 10th player to commit to Harlequins

Alex Dombrandt of Harlequins celebrates with teammate Jack Kenningham, after setting up his team's seventh try which was scored by Cadan Murley (obscured), during the Investec Champions Cup match between Harlequins and DHL Stormers at The Stoop on December 14, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Harlequins captain Alex Dombrandt has become the latest player to sign a contract extension at the club, just days after a player of the match performance in the Investec Champions Cup.

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The England No 8 bagged a hat-trick at the Stoop on Saturday night in a 53-16 win over the Stormers, and has followed that up by committing to the club he has spent the last six years of his career with.

The 27-year-old is the club’s 10th senior re-signing of the season so far, with Quins holding back the announcement of their England internationals. Both Marcus Smith and Fin Baxter have also signed new deals in the past week.

Dombrandt has made 144 appearances for Quins to date, scoring a staggering 76 tries in the process.

He was named club captain at the beginning of the season, but broke his hand in the opening round of the Gallagher Premiership, then joined the England camp for their Autumn Nations Series campaign soon after.

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“I’m really happy to commit my future to Harlequins,” he said after signing.

“This is a club that I love and I think we’re going places with the players we have in the squad and group of coaching staff.

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“I think we have the best fans in the world – they come rain or shine, home and away. Wherever we are in the world they’re always there supporting us. They’re all a massive part of why this club is so special.

“It’s an honour to be captain of a club I hold so close to my heart. That being said, we have a number of leaders in the group, who support me and I can lean on as we work towards our goal of winning more trophies.”

Quins head coach Danny Wilson added: “Alex is a hugely important player for Harlequins. He’s been a top performer at the club for several seasons and his on-field performances have led to him regularly representing England on the world stage.

“He’s a highly skilled rugby player on both sides of the ball and an impactful No 8, who has the ability to put us on the front foot in key moments. His understanding of the game is continuing to grow and that’s only going to further improve his all-round ability.

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“Alex was deservedly named our men’s club captain ahead of this season. He leads by example and is hugely respected amongst the playing squad and coaching staff. We’re all delighted he will continue playing in the Quarters for years to come.”

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M
Mzilikazi 54 minutes ago
How law changes are speeding up the game - but the scrum lags behind

Regarding the scrum, I would pick up on your point made below, Nick. "....reffing the scrum is not easy at all, prob the single most difficult area in the books." Those of us who have coached the scrum, and /or refereed, would fully agree. And I have read on the pages of rugby forums for years now the opinion of experienced international props. "I could not detect exactly what happened in that particular scrum"


Ofc the problem is heightened when the referee has not played in the pack, has never been in a scrum. It is very clear, at least to me, that many top level referees don't begin to understand the mechanics of the scrum.


I feel the laws are adequate as they stand to a great extent. The problem, as I see it, is that referees right up to top level just don't apply them in the the letter of the law or in the spirit they should .


Any significant downward pressure by a prop to cause a collapse should be penalised. For example look at the scrum clip at 54.49 mins. It is the Leinster LH who forces downwards first, then the Munster TH "pancakes" I believe the Leinster prop is the offender there.


I also think that with most of the wheels in those clips, it was Leinster who are the offenders. That can be hard to pick though in many cases. Another point is the hooker standing up. That was being penalised 3/4 years ago. So Kellaher would have been penalised back then in that first clip at 04.17.


I think the directive should be given now to referees at all levels to stop giving penalties simply because a team is being moved backwards. And the directive should be "order the team with the ball to clear it, and within 3 secs."


It would help if a change was made to remove the option to take another scrum after a penalty is awarded. Must take a tap or a kick.

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