Alex sheds the pounds to cash in with Eddie
SLIMMED-DOWN and more mobile Harlequins No.8 Alex Dombrandt believes he is in tip-top condition for a New Year assault on winning his first England cap.
Dombrandt, 23, was lampooned by club boss Paul Gustard for his ‘university rig’ when he emerged from Cardiff Met two years ago to take the Premiership by storm.
Nobody is laughing now, though, as dedicated Dombrandt explains how he has shed ten kilos – over a stoneand-a-half in old money – in an effort to deliver worldclass performances that could persuade Red Rose boss Eddie Jones to give him a Six Nations shot.
Dombrandt told The Rugby Paper: “It was a big wake-up call coming from university into a professional environment. But I have been working hard on my fitness, a big area I needed to work on and get up to speed in the professional game.
“I’ve lost weight I needed to lose and I feel comfortable now and am working hard on my fitness to be able to stay involved in games.
“I was 127kg (20st) at my first training day, which is quite heavy, and now I’m sitting at 117kg (18st 4lbs) which is where I feel most effective.
“I feel I am getting more involved in games, able to carry more, tackle more and be more effective after a tackle. It has made a huge difference to my ability to play for 80 minutes and is something I need to keep on top of going forward.
“It is for others to say about England; there has been a lot of hype around me with people talking but I am concentrating on Harlequins. I had a taste of the England camp but am focused here and want to win trophies this season with Quins.”
While Dombrandt featured in England’s pre-World Cup training squad last year and was again involved during this year’s autumn camps, he has so far failed to dislodge Billy Vunipola and saw Tom Curry promoted ahead of him earlier this year.
However, he remains firmly on England’s radar. Dombrandt added: “I’ve had a couple of texts and conversations with (defence coach) John Mitchell about a few things but nothing major, just checking how I was getting on.
“It’s always nice to hear from them and them taking an interest in you and you want to improve. I am fairly happy with where I am at and know the areas I have to improve on as an individual and am working hard on those areas.
“I feel I play my best rugby when I am enjoying it, so I’ll keep a positive attitude in training, work hard and what will be will be.”
Dombrandt’s cause will be aided immeasurably today if he can help Quins overcome last week’s Champions Cup setback at Munster by defeating last season’s runners-up Racing 92 in what is now a mustwin match for his side.
He said: “Munster did not dent my confidence because it was a game we came away from frustrated knowing it was one we could have won.
“We shot ourselves in the foot with our errors and discipline but we also did a lot of things well and if we tidy up a few more things we can be a real force to be reckoned with.
“There are three games left in the Heineken Cup and we will do everything to win them. We are excited by the challenge of Racing.
“We have had a look at them and know the type of expansive game they play. They have great individual players in the likes of Finn Russell and Virimi Vakatawa so we need to make sure we are on the money, stay focused and look after those threats.”
With crucial festive season league games against Bristol and Worcester looming on the horizon, Dombrandt added: “The beauty of European rugby is that you get to test yourself against some of the world’s best.
“Racing are littered with internationals across their team and to go up against that talent is going to be special and a real test.
“It is a good marker to see where you are at individually but for me it is more importantly about the team.
“We were coming off the back of two good wins in the Premiership and then had a bump in the road and lost to Munster. It is important to get back on track with a win over Racing going into the Christmas period.”