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There were fireworks and flames on a balmy September night and, perhaps, at the end of an encounter that nonetheless produced the expected result, something resembling hope for Harlequins. 12 months ago, almost to the day, a club soon shown to be in turmoil were beaten by a below-their-best Bath in a performance that rather set the tone for a season of tumult and trouble. Handed the same tough task to open another Prem season and more than a dollop of misfortune beforehand, there was just enough pluck and punch to suggest brighter times may be to come – even if the hosts cannot yet compete with this division’s best.
It did not help, of course, to be down four figures like Marcus Smith, Alex Dombrandt, Fin Baxter and new recruit George Furbank – comfort can be taken from the fact that all bar Dombrandt are expected back in the next couple of weeks. To have lost both Smith and Furbank during the course of their final preseason game was a tough break indeed given both the leadership and quality they provide – and there were encouraging signs of a sort in their absence with a Santiago Carreras wonder-try that caused a 14-point swing the real difference between the teams.
The spunk, spice and spite about their side’s performance would have pleased a Stoop crowd that increasingly grew unfaithful last year – even if a few nagging concerns about the state of what feels a strangely shallow squad remain. Indeed, the eventual margin of defeat remained unchanged; in pure accounting on the table, a pointless outing for the hosts. There is much, much more work to be done. “There were moments today that last year Bath would have run in three tries really quickly,” head coach Jason Gilmore said. “We created a lot of line breaks out there and then were just a bit impatient. I’m proud of the boys efforts and we definitely competed hard, but disappointed that we blew a few chances.”
It was one of those bitty games of rugby characteristic of these opening skirmishes of the season, one in which the ball seemed to spend as much time on the deck as safely in the grasp. Indeed, both of Harlequins’ first half scores found the bounce of the ball looking kindly upon them – first Will Porter after a lineout and then Oscar Beard from an aerial contest making the most of a friendly ricochet, with the second score finished off by a long-striding Chandler Cunningham-South.
Yet things always looked closer to clicking for Bath. Dan du Preez, lured south from Sale to fill an Alfie Barbeary-shaped hole at the base of the scrum, had given them an early lead with a punchy short-range try, and Joe Cokanasiga was similarly muscular as he cut a sharp angle on Tom Carr-Smith’s shoulder. Their third try, meanwhile, was a moment of magic – Carreras jutting out a leg to intercept what should have been a scoring pass to Beard, before dashing beneath his flick up and under the posts.
“He’s done some things in training that are amazing,” Bath boss Johann van Graan explained. “In my view, that is try of the season for us in round one. That decision, firstly, to use his foot, and then the skill level to kick it up, gather on the touchline, keep his head and finish it. What a moment and what a player.”
The Argentina playmaker had struggled to show the best of himself during his first season at the Rec but here was a reminder of the quality lurking in Johann van Graan’s ranks. When they had come here last year, the Bath boss had been forced to deploy Max Ojomoh in the No 10 shirt but if the playmaking partnership of Carreras and Finn Russell find their groove under new attack coach Mike Prendergast, Bath may look a complete attacking proposition again. Re-finding the scalpel to go with the bludgeon that took them to two semi-finals last season may prove the difference this.
That up-front heft remains, mind, even without Thomas du Toit, Barbeary and a couple of other departees. Dan Frost was the beneficiary of a driving maul to bag a bonus point before half time. But Harlequins stuck in there, upping their own physicality in a manner they had failed to at times last year. Pedro Delgado gave them hope and compatriot Guido Petti should really have given them more, only to be turtled by two Bath tacklers as he strove for the line.
It proved costly as Bath regained their grip on the contest. Ewan Richards and the rest of a power-packed bench produced a rumbling mass that Harlequins could not stop. There may be a bit of pain yet before they turn the promise into points.
Northampton, meanwhile, began the defence of their Prem title with a 59-26 win over Newcastle Red Bulls as youngster James Pater filled Furbank’s boots effectively with a hat-trick from full-back.
Tommy Freeman also crossed thrice in a fine start to the season for the defending champions – though Werner Kok snatched a bonus point for the Red Bulls at the last to root Harlequins to the bottom.
