The Dombrandt X-factor: 'He is almost Welsh in the way he plays'
Adam Jones believes Alex Dombrandt has the X-factor needed to become one of the best players in the world after the England No8 signed a new long term deal with Harlequins. Dombrandt joined Quins from Cardiff Met University ahead of the 2018/19 season with what then head of rugby Paul Gustard described as a “university rig”, but he has since changed his body shape to become an international player.
Capped four times by England, the Croydon-born 24-year-old has made 87 appearances for his club and has scored 200 points, including eleven tries in his debut season. The news that Dombrandt has now re-committed to Harlequins for the foreseeable future greatly enthused ex-Wales prop Jones, the Harlequins scrum coach.
“It is brilliant news. He obviously came from Cardiff Met, hadn’t had any academy time, played for Wales U20s. The way he has gone over the last few years has been brilliant. It’s amazing the fact he has turned into a leader, captained the team when Stephan (Lewies) hasn’t been playing, which shows the respect he has and the sort of individual he is really. He is that good, that well thought of and well respected that within three years he is captaining the team.
“He is a great kid, such a good bloke, a brilliant, unbelievable player. Some of the stuff he can do, he is almost Welsh in the way he plays. He is such a good player, he deserves it. We want to keep these boys here. He’s a local lad, supported Quins, so that is a massive driver for him and a massive driver for us really. When you have someone who loves the club, they want to put everything into it.
“He is only going to do bigger and better things. He has only been a professional for three or four years, has a lot of growing to do. Imagine what he is going to be like in a couple of years’ time, with a few years with England as well hopefully. Touchwood, he will be up there with the best in the world.
“It was obvious watching the videos. You saw him playing for Cardiff Met, you could see he was good at rugby and that he loved his time in Cardiff as well. During the first couple of training sessions, we didn’t know much about him. He was one of those guys who when he played you thought, ‘S***, how good is this kid?’ One of those.
'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
“He scored eleven tries maybe in his first season and he is the top try-scoring Quins forward in history but in a quarter of the games, overtaking Nick Easter. He is a bit of a phenomenon, really. Hopefully, we are going to get the best years of him, which is brilliant for Quins. He is only going to get better.
“There are good No 8s in England, aren’t there. They obviously went down the Tom Curry way in the autumn, horses for courses I guess. Alex has done well when he has played for England. There is a fair bit of competition with Sam Simmonds, Curry, Billy Vunipola still knocking about the place and playing well for Sarries.
“I don’t think anyone has a God-given right to play for their country. Alex has things to work on from Eddie Jones, from us, but what he does bring is that X-factor, pulling a rabbit out of a hat really. There are not many players over the history of the game who have that. The players I played with, there are not many who were not doing much and then all of a sudden they score, Shane Williams maybe. Alex is a talent and it is exciting for the club.”
It was last year in a RugbyPass interview when Dombrandt reflected at length on his university years in Cardiff before joining Harlequins and he now returns to that Welsh city next weekend for a Champions Cup battle on an artificial pitch against a home side looking different from the team that lost 43-17 in December in London when a large contingent of their regular players were hit by Covid quarantine regulations.
“It’s the old England versus Wales game between the two capital city clubs and while they didn’t have a great result up in Edinburgh, they haven’t had much rugby together (due to quarantine) to be fair as a unit,” reckoned Jones. “They will want to have a crack at the English champions and we will match it. They have a lot of internationals in their team and when these big games come along they raise their game.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
39 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
39 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
39 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
39 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
39 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
39 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
39 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments