The EPCR European Player of the Year nominee scored the second of Quins’ five tries – and his seventh in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup - at Twickenham Stoop on Saturday as they looked to overturn a 14-point deficit from the first leg.

But the Gallagher Premiership side ultimately fell just short of a remarkable comeback, their 33-20 victory meaning they went down 60-59 on aggregate.

Dombrandt, however, told Quins’ website that he was ‘really proud’ of his team after they narrowly missed out on a place in the quarter-finals.

“We threw everything at it and [there are] fine margins at this level, couple of decisions here and there,” he said after the game.

“And unfortunately, we’re on the wrong side of the defeat. But [I’m] very proud. We threw everything at it and it’s just a shame to come up short. “

Quins got off to the perfect start as they aimed to turn things around in the Round of 16 tie, Dombrandt racing through midfield to set up wing Louis Lynagh for an opening try with less than a minute played.

Lynagh’s second score on 74 minutes handed Quins the chance to take an aggregate lead, but fly-half Marcus Smith was unable to convert, and their hopes of progressing faded over the remaining seconds.

“We needed to come out the blocks firing, try and get some on the board early, and we did that,” Dombrandt recalled. “So that was very pleasing.

“Probably, with that 14-point head start that we gave them, [it] just left us with too much to do at the end. [I] couldn’t be prouder of the boys.

“It hurts a lot. We’re good in terms of implementing our game plan but like I said, it’s just fine margins, the bounce of the ball goes the wrong way and unfortunately, we come up short."

Harlequins should look back on the second leg of their defeat to Montpellier Hérault Rugby in the Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 with pride, according to No.8 Alex Dombrandt.