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Last thing Eddie Jones needed was Dombrandt winning an award on same day he was ignored by England
By Josh Raisey
That reaction after Harlequins No8 Alex Dombrandt was named the Gallagher Premiership player of the month on Wednesday has been unsurprising.
The 22-year-old was in rampant form throughout January - and indeed the past year - at the back of Harlequins scrum, and this latest award has only fanned the flames of the campaign for him to play for England.
The No8 made the most line breaks of any player across Europe in January, while also making the most metres of any forward in the Premiership (via OptaJonny), but he has shown this kind of form all season.
However, to the bemusement of the majority of England fans, Eddie Jones has not selected a No8 this Six Nations in the absence of the injured Billy Vunipola.
He has instead chosen to fashion flanker Tom Curry into a No8, which has not been wholly accepted. This is not only because the Sale Sharks youngster is a world-class flanker, but there are many talented No8s at Jones’ disposal in great form.
Exeter Chiefs’ Sam Simmonds is another player that has also been overlooked to the dismay of many.
Jones has named his 25-man squad for training this week ahead of the contest against Ireland the following weekend, and he has still opted for a back row devoid of a specialist No8.
The Australian has his reasons for doing this, and many of his controversial calls have paid off in the past, but Dombrandt’s form means it is growing increasingly difficult for Jones to justify omitting him. This latest award will only increase the pressure.
The Harlequins forward did play against the Barbarians last year for England, catching the eye of many fans in that performance, and was part of the World Cup training squad. However, he has not been part of Jones’ plans since then with the coach citing his workrate as a reason for this.
But as the surging No8 continues to terrorise defences in England, the argument that he should be playing for his country becomes more compelling.
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Latest Comments
What a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
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