Henry Arundell marked his Bath debut with the club’s fourth try.
Premiership Rugby
Harlequins (17) 31
Tries: W Evans 3, Kenningham, T Green Cons: J Evans 3
Bath (14) 47
Tries: Dunn, Sela, Obano, Arundell 2, Griffin, Underhill Cons: Spencer 5, De Glanville
Reigning champions Bath delivered a dominant second-half performance to overcome Harlequins, commencing their title defense with a bonus-point victory.
The hosts initiated the match with considerable momentum, flanker Will Evans securing a hat-trick within the first 30 minutes.
Tom Dunn’s response narrowed the score to 17-7 before Chandler Cunningham-South received a yellow card in the 33rd minute.
Bath capitalized on their numerical advantage, with tries from Vilikesa Sela and Beno Obano in quick succession after the restart, seizing the lead for the first time.
Injuries to both Harlequins hookers, Jack Walker and George Turner, necessitated uncontested scrums for the final 26 minutes, a situation Bath exploited to their advantage against the weakened Quins pack.
Debutant Henry Arundell contributed two tries, while Archie Griffin and Sam Underhill also scored, securing a comprehensive win. Jack Kenningham and Tyrone Green managed to cross the try line for the home side, earning them a bonus point in the second half.
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Will Evans registered a hat-trick for Harlequins within the first 30 minutes.
The hosts displayed no signs of rust at the start of the new Premiership season, with Evans scoring twice in the opening eight minutes as Harlequins exerted early pressure on the reigning champions, culminating from extended runs by Green and Cadan Murley.
Dunn powered over from a Bath line-out, putting the visitors on the scoreboard before Evans completed his hat-trick after Alex Dombrandt breached the defensive line.
Cunningham-South’s sin-bin led to Sela scoring from a tap-and-go five meters out.
Bath emerged with renewed vigor in the second half, scoring within two minutes as Obano finished off a remarkable run by Arundell.
Having replaced Walker at halftime, Turner was forced to leave the field after a significant collision during a play that saw Ollie Lawrence’s try disallowed due to Joe Cokanasiga stepping into touch during the buildup.
The hosts, left without available hookers, introduced South African prop Jordan Els to complete the game with uncontested scrums.
England back Arundell, making his first appearance on the wing, scored in the corner following a flowing team move as Bath seized control of the match.
Griffin and Underhill, coming off the bench, added their names to the scoresheet before Arundell secured his second try. Kenningham responded for the hosts, and Green scored with the game’s final play.
Johann van Graan guided Bath to their first league title since 1996 last season.
Harlequins Senior Coach Jason Gilmore stated:
“We exhibited some excellent play in the first half, aiming for a positive approach and targeting at least a bonus point by scoring four tries in each game.”
“Our second-half start was poor, gifting them a try due to a weak kick and chase.”
“The loss of two hookers in quick succession disrupted our momentum. We struggled in the aerial battle, resulting in them gaining significant territory and the referee’s decisions going against us.”
“We take pride in fighting back to score 31 points, allowing us to salvage something from the game.”
Regarding Will Evans’ performance: “He is among the most underrated players I’ve encountered.”
“If he were in Australia, he would likely be an international player. However, the competition in his position is fierce here.”
Bath Director of Rugby Johann van Graan commented:
“We had a productive training week but experienced a disjointed first half as Quins exerted considerable pressure.”
“They applied pressure at the breakdown, and we didn’t react swiftly enough. We were content to be only 17-14 down at halftime.”
“We demonstrated composure in the second half by scoring promptly. It was a commendable performance after the interval to secure five points, as it’s always challenging to play here.”
“Two years ago, we were down 40-3, and last year, we rallied to win late in the game.”
Harlequins: T Green; David, Beard, Kerr, Murley; J Evans, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Williams, Cunningham-South, Treadwell, Kenningham, W Evans, Dombrandt
Replacements: Turner, Els, Streeter, J Green, Carr, M Green, Kolade, Anderson
Sin-bin: Cunningham-South [33]
Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, Arundell; Ojomoh, Spencer; Obano, Dunn, Sela, Roux, Ewels, Bayliss, Pepper, Reid
Replacements: Tuipulotu, Van Wyk, Griffin, Molony, Hill, Carr-Smith, Harris, Underhill
Referee: Stuart Terheege
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