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'He is a great kid who is built well, weighing in around 122 kilos and with the frame to develop even further'
Harlequins have revealed the signing of South African loosehead prop Jordan Els from Greene King IPA Championship side Ealing Trailfinders. Els, 23, will make the short trip from the Trailfinders Sports Club to The Stoop ahead of the remaining 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership season’s fixtures, having initially signed in advance of the Club’s 2020/21 campaign.
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First arriving in the country from South Africa midway through the 2018/19 season with Ealing from the Durban-based Natal Sharks, the 120kg plus loosehead adds further quality to a front row department overseen by scrum coach Adam Jones.
Commenting on his move to The Stoop, Els said: “I’m tremendously excited to sign with Harlequins, when you hear a club as significant as Quins is showing interest, it’s an easy decision to make.
“I’m looking forward to getting involved with the squad. The competition in training and for matchday spots is going to be tremendous. The quality of players and coaches here is something that truly excites me and I’m eager to get out there and pull on the jersey for the first time.”
Commenting on the Club’s latest signing, Head of Rugby Paul Gustard said: “We are really excited about the prospect of Jordan linking up with the squad and representing the famous badge. He is a great young kid who is built well, weighing in around 122 kilos and with the frame to develop even further.
“For a big man he can do the basics of a prop very well and was widely regarded as the best loosehead in the Championship. What I like about him the most is his handling ability and his movement off the ball. He has soft touches and a good work rate for a big man and I am sure he will prove to be a success working alongside the likes of Joe [Marler] and Santi [Garcia Botta] and when facing live scrum sessions against our formidable tightheads.
“Falling within the 18-23 age bracket, securing Jordan’s signature helps us to build depth and longevity at loosehead. We have high hopes for Jordan, and I know our brilliant fans will welcome him warmly.”
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