4. Alex Dombrandt – Harlequins
With Marcus Smith taking the headlines from a classic encounter in Paris, Alex Dombrandt’s efforts may have slipped under the radar in the La Defense Arena. However, there is no understating the shift contributed by the number eight, who rose to the occasion for this Champions Cup clash. After being left out of the Rugby World Cup squad, a fire looks to have been lit under Dombrandt, with his motivation to return to the national side burning bright against Racing. Dombrandt was a workhorse in defence, and shrugged off the Parisian carpet burns with countless tackles on the artificial surface.
The back-rower’s top contribution was a try on the hour mark, as he backed his pace through a gap in the defensive line. Dombrandt timed his run onto Danny Care’s pass, and powered through a hole in the Racing defense, before beating a couple of back-peddling defenders to the whitewash. The 26-year-old clattered his way over the try-line, with the score coming at an opportune time for the eventual Quins comeback. Dombrandt certainly made his mark in this match, and will be hoping for this run of form to continue as competition across the England back-row heats up ahead of the 2024 Six Nations.
5. Will Joseph – Harlequins
We stick with Harlequins for the fifth and final player of the opening Champions Cup week, as Will Joseph remains amongst the top performers amongst England candidates. Joseph had a stunning run out against Racing 92, and topped numerous attacking charts for the entire round of Champions Cup action. The 21-year-old beat eight defenders in Paris, made 34m in contact as well as four clean breaks, all of which were the leading efforts throughout the opening round of action.
The former London Irishman had a reunion with Henry Arundell in Paris, and whilst Arundell has opted out of England for the 2024 Six Nations, Joseph could well get a call-up into Steve Borthwick’s squad. Joseph has had a stunning run so far in the 2023/24 season, and has grown into a real contender for an England jersey since arriving at Harlequins. Steve Borthwick’s midfield is an area of definite contention, with Joseph hoping to take Joe Marchant’s England spot, just as he has done for Harlequins.