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The teenage backline positions that hugely helped Alex Dombrandt
Packing down at No8 for England and Harlequins is where Alex Dombrandt is developing his burgeoning reputation as a player to watch in the 2022 Guinness Six Nations but getting stuck into the rough and tumble wasn’t where the bulwark originally started out. We all know about his days in the trenches with Cardiff Met, that jaw-breaking three-year educational pathway even seeing him represent the Wales U20s against England in 2018.
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However, when it comes to his subtle ball-handling skills, those attributes can be traced to the 24-year-old’s faraway days as a teenager long before he recognised he had the potential to make a career as a rugby player.
“When I was younger I played a bit of fly-half and full-back, so maybe that has helped with some of ball-handling. That was at Warlingham rugby club, a club that Chris Robshaw also played for as well, and that was when I was about 12, 13.
“But no, I will definitely leave that to the bigger boys,” said Dombrandt when quizzed on Tuesday about whether he would ever consider a run in midfield given how England boss Eddie Jones has a liking for developing hybrid players.
Centre is a position definitely best left to someone like Manu Tuilagi, who is back in England’s plans following his return to the Test squad last week following an eleven-week winter layoff. “He is a massive boost. The experience that he has got with the boys, just the physical specimen that he is, it puts fear in opposition so to have him back has been a great boost for the boys.”
This Saturday, if selection goes a particular way for the round three Six Nations match at home to Wales, Dombrandt could be directly facing the fit-again Taulupe Faletau following his return to Wayne Pivac’s squad.
“He is a great player who has played loads of games for Wales. If selected it will be a great test for me to go up against him for sure. He is one of those No8s who have got a great all-court game. He is good in defence, very good in attack and I have watched him play a lot of games and picked up a few things from him so he is a great player. He has a great all-court game.”
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How would Dombrandt currently describe his own game under Jones, the England coach who gave him his first Six Nations start away to Italy last time out having appeared off the bench in the round one game in Scotland?
“For me, it is just trying to get my hands on the ball as much as possible. My work off the ball is just as important as on the ball. The more times I can get my hands on the ball the better and try and impose myself on the game really but I guess that comes first of all from the work I do off the ball.
“I guess for me it is just trying to put myself in positions where I can get the ball in the shape, putting myself forward and I guess for me just trying to find those little pockets off Marcus (Smith) that I like to do as well. So just trying to find those spaces and link up with the boys.
“I’m an attack-minded player but I am also aware at this level you need an all-court game. Your attack has to be good but also your defence has to be up there as well so I have been working hard on that aspect of my game as well to make sure they are on a level.
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“We spend a lot of time together off the pitch,” added Dombrandt about his relationship with Smith, his England and Harlequins colleague. “We are great friends and that translates to what we do sometimes on the pitch as well. We understand each other’s game well and that hopefully transfers onto the pitch.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Super rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
8 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
8 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
16 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
16 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
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