By AlanQuin
October 27 2009

An emphatic win, by 35 points to 25, over Bath United in the Guinness A League at Imber Court last night, allowed Harlequins to narrow the gap at the top of the league table between Saracens Storm and themselves to a single point. Harlequins A ran in five tries and acquired the bonus point before half time.

It took only five minutes for the first score as Stitcher and York broke down the inside channel on the left.  The defence managed to stop the thrust a couple of metres short of the line but the ball was recycled and Croall went over for the try inthe corner.  Chisholm’s conversion attempt failed, but a couple of minutes later he was successful with a penalty from about 30 metres to give Quins a lead of 8 – 0. However, two successful penalties from the Bath fly half, Roberts, made inroads into the lead, until Chisholm succeeded with another kick to make the score 11 – 6 after twenty-five minutes.

Quins now began to increase the pace at which they were playing and the pressure kept play in the Bath half.  The Quins’ forwards were dominant in the scrum and it was that dominance that began a sequence of three Quins’ tries in the last ten minutes of the first half.  A penalty from a scrum on the Bath twenty-two was kicked to the corner. Although the catch and drive was halted, Quins recycled the ball through three phases as the forwards tried to drive over the line, gaining another scrum. That scrum, five metres from the line in front of the posts, produced a push that destroyed the Bath unit and had it going backwards at a rate of knots. The resulting penalty try was inevitable.  Chisholm added the conversion.

From the restart Quins’ pressure gained a lineout inside the Bath twenty-two. Although the attempted catch and drive was stopped, the ball came loose into Quins’ hands following an error by the defence and James Johnston forced his way over in the corner.  Chisholm converted.

Quins were immediately on the attack from the restart and a kick ahead chased by Josh Drauininui bounced high over his head preventing a certain try.  However, a penalty was awarded inside the Bath twenty-two and calling for a scrum Quins secured quick ball and moved it wide for Josh Drauininui to run in unopposed and round behind the posts for the bonus point try. Chisholm added the conversion with the final kick of the half.  The half time score was 30 – 6

Quins continued to mount attacks as they began the second half with clear determination to increase the score.  Fine runs form Lindsay-Hague and hooker Matt Cairns, on his debut, took play deep into the bath twenty-two and continued pressure brought a penalty.  With the supremacy of the Quins’ forwards continuing to give them a fine platform for attack, Quins opted for another scrum pushing the Bath pack steadily backwards and Croall was able to cross for his second try of the game. The conversion attempt failed.

Now the mass substitutions unsettled the Quins’ organisation.  Bearing in mind that many of the young players had never trained or played together, it was not surprising that gaps began to appear which Bath were able to exploit.  In the last quarter, Bath scored three tries and two conversions, although they were never able to recover the substantial lead that Quins had established.  The final score was 35 – 25. 

Other results in the league saw Saracens beat Wasps 15 – 7 to maintain their lead in the Southern Conference table by a single point over Quins.  London Irish defeated Gloucester 69 – 9 at Sunbury.