Gallagher Premiership
Harlequins (21) 24
Tries: Dombrandt, Isgro 2 Cons: Smith 3 Pens: Smith
Bath (14) 26
Tries: Pepper, De Glanville, Du Toit, Van Wyk Cons: Russell 3
Francois van Wyk’s late try saw Bath win 26-24 at Harlequins and go second in the Premiership.
The Blue, Black and Whites had not led at all until the South African’s dramatic late score claimed a try-scoring bonus point and win that pushed them above local rivals Bristol in the table.
Argentine Rodrigo Isgro had scored two first-half tries on his debut as Quins establish a seven-point lead at the break.
But despite twice having players sin-binned, Bath defended well to stay in touch with the Londoners before winning a late penalty, setting up camp in the home 22 and seeing Van Wyk power over in the corner.
The loss sees Quins drop to seventh.
Quins held out against some early Bath pressure before heading up the other end of the field and seeing skipper Alex Dombrandt go over for his first try of the season in the seventh minute.
Ten minutes later Isgro out-jumped Austin Emens to score Quins’ second before Guy Pepper pulled one back from close range for Bath.
The visitors had Tom Dunn sin-binned for a ruck infringement soon after, but despite being a man down, they drew level when intense pressure finally told as the ball found its way out to Tom de Glanville to score.
But Isgro, who represented Argentina at the 2023 Rugby World Cup as well as at this summer’s Paris Olympics, showed his power as he blasted in for his second try shortly before the break after Quins’ forwards had failed to pound their way over from close range.
The hosts edged the first part of the second half and faced 14 men again when Pepper was sin-binned as he tried to stop a Marcus Smith-inspired attack, with the England fly-half knocking over the resulting penalty.
Despite being short-handed Bath scored their third try when Emens was held up on the Quins line having raced down the left wing, but Du Toit went over from three metres on the next phase to make it 24-21 with 15 minutes to go.
Both sides had chances to break through again but it was Bath who took their chance as they kicked a penalty to within 10 metres and established themselves in the home 22.
De Glanville was found on the left wing and although he was held up short, South African replacement Van Wyk drove over the line to seal victory for last season’s Premiership runners-up.
Harlequins head coach Danny Wilson told BBC Radio London:
“The key word is frustration. I think we didn’t take enough points from the pressure we created.
“It forced yellow cards, it forced everything bar scores really, especially from 40 to about 60-65 minutes.
“Then I felt in that last 10 minutes we just handed them opportunities from falling a little bit out of system.
“All of a sudden we handed them a few opportunities to get back into it and they’re too good a team to do that, and they took their opportunity and therefore deserved their win.”
Bath head coach Johann van Graan told BBC Radio Bristol:
“What a rugby game, a very high quality rugby game – two heavyweight boxers going at each other for literally 12 rounds until the last scrum.
“All credit to the group, we stuck into it, we were tough to beat and very glad about the five points.
“So many things happened in that game, but that’s what you get when two teams that are playing well run into each other.
“We needed one opportunity in the second half and we used it.”
Harlequins: Green; Isgro, Beard, Northmore, Murley; Smith, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Lamositele, Launchbury, Lamb, Kenningham, Evans, Dombrandt (capt).
Replacements: Jibulu, Marler, Lewis, Herbst, Cunningham-South, Chisholm, Care, Evans.
Yellow card: Dunn (28), Pepper (60)
Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Butt, Emens; Russell, Spencer (capt); Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels, Pepper, Underhill, Barbeary.
Replacements: Annett, Van Wyk, Du Toit, Richards, Hill, Carr-Smith, Bailey, Coetzee.
Referee: Tom Foley
