An interesting piece of analysis of Harlequins number eight Alex Dombrandt’s performance against Bristol Bears on Friday night is a must see for England fans.
The back rower played a key role in Quins’ epic second half comeback at Twickenham Stoop which saw them score 45 unanswered points including a late try by Dombrandt.
The 24-year-old was recently selected by England head coach Eddie Jones for the 45-man training squad ahead of the Autumn Internationals series to face Tonga, Australia and South Africa.
However while Dombrandt made headlines for his try, the dynamic back-rower was at the centre of several turnovers and counter attack plays by the reigning English champions.
Journalist and podcast host Sam Larner took a series of screen grabs to showcase some of the unseen work of the number eight and made a Twitter feed of his analysis.
However despite his impact in the Premiership over the past couple of seasons Dombrandt has only earned a single cap for England under the reign of Eddie Jones, but given the omission of Billy Vunipola from the squad it could be his time to step up.
Quins senior coach Tabai Matson said: “I wouldn’t say Alex [Dombrandt] is unique, but he’s rare as a loose forward. He’s very skilled. His anticipation of where the line breaks are going to be means that he can put the hammer down 10 seconds earlier in his support lines and assists.
“He’s so skilful. He’s playing really well. I thought he played exceptionally well. Defensively he was bloody good and got a couple of key turnovers.”
Friday night's game will go down as an all-time classic in the Gallagher Premiership after Quins trailed 7-24 at half time, and full match highlights are available below:
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