Alex Dombrandt is expected to be recalled by England next week after leading Harlequins’ comeback against Exeter with a man-of-the-match display at Allianz Stadium. The 29-year-old inspired a surge of 34 unanswered points as Harlequins overturned the match to win 41-24 in front of a crowd of 36,925.

Harlequins head coach Jason Gilmore said the performance was a fitting reward for Dombrandt’s blockbuster form and insisted the England back-rower has been outstanding over the last three months. Gilmore said Dombrandt, who has 23 caps, is putting his hand up for the England number eight shirt after being moved out of the squad earlier in the season.

That recall would come just as England boss Steve Borthwick prepares to name his first squad on Monday ahead of the July Tests against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina. Dombrandt won his most recent cap on the 2025 summer tour to Argentina and the United States, but since then he has been overlooked while Ben Earl and Henry Pollock moved above him in the pecking order at number eight.

Gilmore said Dombrandt had been amazing and outstanding over the last three months and added that his growth in leadership had been a bright spot for Harlequins. He also said the player had a big three games to finish the season, including the Exeter match, and described the reward of a recall as especially meaningful for a proud Englishman who had been left out of the squad.

Harlequins had been under pressure for much of the season, and Gilmore said captaincy is easier when a team is winning than when it is fighting from behind. That strain showed early against Exeter, but Dombrandt helped change the shape of the match as Harlequins took control after the break.

Gilmore said Marcus Smith’s kicking game in the second half was excellent and that Smith wanted to change the strategy at halftime by kicking a little longer. Harlequins backed that plan and got their kick chase going, while Exeter were also hit by the loss of Len Ikitau to an ankle injury.

Exeter head coach Rob Baxter said his side looked like a team that had gone back-to-back big games over a number of weeks with quite a few short turnarounds. For Dombrandt, the next step is immediate: Saracens and Northampton remain before the season ends, and Gilmore said he will need to back up one of the biggest performances of his campaign.

If England do turn back to Dombrandt on Monday, it will be because the timing matched the form. He has done the hardest part already, forcing his way back into the conversation when the season was asking more questions than answers.