Seven-try Bath overpower Harlequins to remain top

Gallagher Premiership

Bath (33) 47

Tries: Cokanasiga, Hill, Molony, Muir (2), Ojomoh, van Wyk Cons: Russell (6)

Harlequins (14) 28

Bath confirmed their status as Premiership title favourites with an exciting 47-28 win over play-off chasing Harlequins at the Recreation Ground.

In a frantic first half, the home team scored first through Joe Cokanasiga’s set-piece effort, before further tries from Ted Hill, Ross Molony and Will Muir put the away team to the sword.

Luke Northmore and Titi Lamositele responded for Quins before Muir went over for his second on the verge of half-time.

Chasing their fifth victory on the bounce in all competitions, Bath’s intensity put Quins on the backfoot from the kick-off.

Following a flowing set-piece move from a lineout, Tom de Glanville fed Cokanasiga who bumped off two would-be tacklers to score in the corner.

It proved to be a double whammy for Quins, with the unfortunate Rodrigo Isgro being injured during the final tackle and receiving a yellow card for head-to-head contact with the rampaging Bath winger.

Bath took advantage of the extra man to score a second through Hill, with the flanker striding through after patient build up play.

When Quins had the ball they looked dangerous and should have had a try following Northmore’s break, only for the final pass to Tyrone Green to go astray.

Marcus Smith was then yellow carded for cynical play around the ruck, before Molony powered his way over following successive close-range drives.

Northmore got Quins ‘ first points of the day following Tom Lawday’s break, before Lamositele spotted a gap by the Bath posts to burrow his way over after Jamie Benson’s drive.

Muir went over for his second just before the break but Quins scored first after the teams re-emerged as Baxter forced his way over from close-range following successive attacking phases, before Bath had a Ben Spencer try chalked off for a forward pass.

With the away side attacking, Ojomoh’s length-of-the-field interception score dashed any Quins hopes of a comeback, before Will Butt’s break sent replacement van Wyk through a gap to dive over.

Player of the match, Bath winger Will Muir, speaking to BBC Radio Bristol:

“It was a battle. I talked to a few of the lads and we thought it must be coming to half-time and it was only 12 minutes in. It’s never easy against them and you know that they never roll over, it felt like a relief to get it over the line really.

” They’re so dangerous when they throw it about, you can never really switch off.

Replacements: Annett, Van Wyk, Du Toit, Pepper, Underhill, Carr-Smith, Butt, Coetzee.

Harlequins: Green, Isgro, Beard, Northmore, David, Smith, Porter, Baxter, Walker, Lamositele, Herbst, Lewies, Kenningham, Lawday, Cunningham-South.

Replacements: Riley, Els, Jones, Launchbury, Hammond, Schmid, Care, Benson.

Yellow Cards: Isgro, Smith.