Dowson praises Els as prop extends his stay with Saints
Phil Dowson praised Jordan Els' work ethic after the loosehead prop signed a deal to remain at the club until the end of the season.
Els arrived at DPD Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens during the summer, with Saints temporarily short of front-row resources due to injuries to Oliver Scola and Lefty Zigiriadis, and the international commitments of Emmanuel Iyogun and Danilo Fischetti.
Born in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Els came through the Sharks’ academy system before making the step into senior rugby in 2018.
Midway through the 2018/19 campaign, the prop moved to the Northern Hemisphere to join Championship outfit Ealing Trailfinders.
A season later, Els earned a switch to Gallagher PREM side Harlequins, joining the London club midway through the 2019/20 campaign.
The following season saw him make 16 appearances across all competitions, including 14 in the league as Quins secured the PREM title.
Over seven seasons at Harlequins, Els went on to make 58 first-team appearances, while also gaining experience on loan with London Scottish, before joining Saints on a short-term deal this summer.
The 29-year-old made his Saints debut in the PREM Rugby Cup game at Harlequins in September.
And having impressed during his time at the club, Els has now committed to the black, green and gold for the remainder of the current campaign.
Saints boss Dowson said: “Bringing Jordan in over the summer was a great opportunity for both him and the club.
"We were looking for cover in the front row and, having bounced back from a period of injury of his own at Harlequins, Jordan was looking for a chance to get back playing consistently and show what he could do.
“(Saints coach) Jaco Pienaar had worked with him during his time at the Sharks, so he already knew the qualities Jordan would bring and the type of person he is.
"Having had the chance to work with him ourselves over the last few months, we’d completely echo everything Jaco told us.
“Jordan is a hard worker, he drives high standards every day, and he’s embraced the opportunity here from the moment he arrived.
“We’re delighted to keep him with us for the rest of the season and look forward to seeing how he continues to develop and contribute to the group.”