Harlequins secure gritty Bath victory

Harlequins travelled to Bath and the Recreation Ground on Friday night for Round 12 of the Gallaher Premiership, looking to consolidate a spot in the top four ahead of a return to Champions Cup action in Durban next weekend.

Quins made short work of the Bath defence during the early blows, with fullback Nick David cutting clean through the Bath defensive line across the halfway mark to put Quins in prime attacking position. Alex Dombrandt scythed through the Bath defence minutes later from five metres out after a Quins lineout deep within the home side’s 22. They had a strong seven-point lead once Tommy Allan added his conversion.

Bath struck back with a penalty for fly-half Orlando Bailey after Quins’ backs were caught offside by referee Andrew Brace.

On his first start at outside centre in the Gallagher Premiership, Academy graduate Oscar Beard displayed a brutal sidestep to cut up two Bath defenders to claim Quins’ second, claiming his first Premiership try of the season as Allan took the lead to nine with his conversion.

Quins were let off soon after, with Bailey missing two kicks in front of the sticks in an attempt to chip away at the visitors’ lead. Further relief for Quins at the end of the first-half as Bath were penalised for jumping across their own lineout in prime attacking position within the 22.

Bath struck first at the start of the second portion of play, with wing Will Butt finishing off a simple one-on-one after inside centre Cameron Redpath displayed some quick thinking and quicker feet to pick and go from the breakdown just inside the Harlequins half. Bailey added his first conversion of the day to bring Quins down to a slender two-point lead.

After a quarter of an hour of threatening play from Bath as they looked to take the lead for the first time of the day, Cadan Murley sparked the field position for Quins to get back in the game, cantering through the Bath defence to eventually see Quins set up a scrum directly in front of the posts. Dombrandt and Care went right from the scrum, with fullback David arching around the back of the move for a smooth finish that saw the outside back dot down untouched for a third Harlequin try of the day. No mistake from the boot for Allan to take Quins to 19 for a nine-point lead.

Although, an immediate reply penalty from Bath’s Piers Francis saw Quins back into action with a six-point lead, within a converted try for a resurgent Bath side of late.

As has been the theme in recent weeks, Quins displayed a gritty edge to finish the game with a win with the odds stacked against them. Down to thirteen men and haemorrhaging penalties as they were marched from the Bath 22 to their own five-metre line, Harlequins bodies pounced on Bath’s driving maul and following break off to force an unplayable ball and the end of the match two men down in their own red zone.

Another hard-fought victory for the Men in the Famous Quarters. Next up, Cell C Sharks in the Champions Cup in South Africa as the London club shifts its sights to another competition.

Harlequins Starting XV

1. Joe Marler (55)

2. Jack Walker (73)

3. Wilco Louw (68)

4. Dino Lamb

5. Irne Herbst (63)

6. Jack Kenningham

7. Will Evans

8. Alex Dombrandt – Captain (73)

9. Danny Care (77)

10. Tommy Allan

11. Josh Bassett

12. Andre Esterhuizen

13. Oscar Beard (63)

14. Cadan Murley (69)

15. Nick David

Impact Players

16. George Head (73)

17. Fin Baxter (55)

18. Simon Kerrod (68)