Premiership Rugby Cup: Seven-try Harlequins win 49-22 at Exeter to reach final

Harlequins back row forward Alex Dombrandt scored two of his side's seven tries in their semi-final win at Sandy Park

Alex Dombrandt sent out a message to England boss Eddie Jones with two tries as Harlequins ended Exeter's hopes of winning three trophies with a 49-22 win in their Premiership Cup semi-final.

Dombrandt, a surprise omission from Jones' squad to face France, helped an impressive Quins score seven tries.

The impressive Gabriel Ibitoye also scored twice against weakened Exeter.

And the winger helped set up three more as Quins reached their first cup final since 2016.

Glen Young, Ross Chisholm and Marcus Smith, who kicked four conversions and two penalties for a 19-point haul, also scored for Quins while Tom Price, with two, James Short and Sam Skinner got Exeter's tries.

The second semi-final is between Sale and reigning Premiership champions Saracens at the AJ Bell Stadium next Friday night (7 February, 19:45 GMT).

Masterpiece from Dombrandt

Dombrandt, who was a late inclusion in the starting line-up after illness forced Chris Robshaw to miss out, blasted his way through Exeter time and again, while Ibitoye shone with ball in hand.

The young winger had a try chalked off before he set up the first try as he drew the defence to the corner flag before passing back to Dombrandt who crashed over.

The 21-year-old scored the second try when he caught a pass that bounced off the back of an offside Exeter player on the home side's tryline and trotted over before Skinner pulled one back after charging down Danny Care's kick.

Price's try from close range soon after the break reduced the arrears but Glen Young scored a similar try for Quins five minutes later as the Londoners dominated.

Quins then scored four tries in 12 minutes midway through the second half.

Dombrandt capped off a fine move down the left, Ibitoye went in on the right before he had a hand in setting up Chisholm and Smith as he too showed Jones that he could be a future England player.

James Short dived in for Exeter and Price was forced over with the final play of the game for his second as the Chiefs suffered a rare home defeat.

Sam Skinner's chargedown brought Exeter their first try against Harlequins at Sandy Park

Exeter skills coach Ricky Pellow told BBC Sport:

"We got ourselves back into the game to get with a try after half time. It's going to hurt the way we then folded under a little bit of pressure after that.

"The guys fought really hard to get themselves back into the game. But this was a young squad and Harlequins at times punished us.

"A lot of players in that changing room will be hurting, but the big thing from that now is they've got to learn and use that to be a better player and develop their game."

Harlequins head of rugby Paul Gustard told BBC Sport:

"If you want to challenge by attacking the line then Alex Dombrandt is as good as anybody in the league. He runs unreal lines and has got a beautiful soft feel for the game. This was one of his more complete performances, and he's played some pretty good ones at that.

"His defence was excellent. He was the guy dominating the opposition with intent and his urgency around the corner was very good, and then we see what he does on the other side of the ball and some of his attack touches were sublime.

"We're under no illusions, Exeter picked a much-changed team. We can't change our team too much because we've got quite a few injuries. A lot of our guys are playing regularly for the first team, sometimes through injury and sometimes because we're backing them because we believe in them."

Exeter: Dollman; Bodilly, Wyatt, Hendrickson, Short; H Skinner, Townsend; Keast, Poole, Street, Witty, Price, Lonsdale, Armand, S Skinner (capt).

Replacements: Schickerling for Street (50), Maunder for Townsend (53), Cooper for Poole (53), South for Witty (61), Caulfield for Lonsdale (61), Laverick for Dollman (65), Morley for H Skinner (65), Southworth for Keast (65).

Harlequins: Morris; Murley, Penny, Lasike, Ibitoye; Smith, Care; Botta, Musk, Collier, Young, Symons, Chisholm (capt), Evans, Dombrandt.

Replacements: R Chisholm for Murley (3), Herron for Penny (18), Kunatani for Morris (43), Lambert for Garcia Botta (47), Kerrod for Collier (47), Cavubati for Symons (65), Landajo for Care (65), Riley for Evans (72).

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