It is with sadness that I write this report. because as I walked from the ground a chap, who I imagine had just enjoyed the match, looked as though he may have suffered a heart attack and lay at the side of the road with friends urgently trying to resuscitate him. A small group appeared to be in control of things, as much as you can in these circumstances, so I walked on to my car. Throughout my twenty minute journey my thoughts were with this chap and his friends and family with rugby playing a very poor second to the sad scene I had just witnessed. 

I hope he recovers.

Picture courtesy Jules

Bath got off to a slow start, following the first of three fluffed kick-offs, and Harlequins grabbed an early penalty. It was some six minutes before Bath took control of the ball and a few minutes later they started a thirty minute period of exceptionally flowing rugby. Whisper it if you will but the team looked as though it had spent a few weeks with a certain national coach who specialises in wearing coats made by T. Urn. The backs ran out of defence whenever possible and only kicked for touch when the situation demanded. 

The pack looked so fit and keen to run with the ball one could have been forgiven for thinking they'd been watching a DVD entitled, "Play Rugby The All Black Way!". They played inside and outside the defenders and if I saw Zak Feau'nati side-step once I must have seen it three or four times. Danny Grewcock and Steve Borthwick once again borrowed the legs of an endurace runner and, as a certain Mr David Coleman once said "covered every blade of grass on the pitch".

Matt Stevens once again demonstrated he has the X-Factor with a display that belied his lengthy absence from the game.

Picture courtesy Jules

After Olly Barkley had missed the first Bath penalty of the day Steve Borthwick opened the home side's account with a try following a five metre line out which saw Andy Beattie catch and drive before the Bath skipper carried the ball over the goal line for his score. 

Despite controlling the game and playing lovely rugby, it took Bath another 20 minutes to score their second try. This time Joe Maddock cut a running line so perfect if one could enclose it with a frame I'm sure it could hang in an art gallery. The ball was taken forward from a Bath scrum by Nick Walshe who fed James Scaysbrook who found the impish Maddock running a 45 degree angle to his shoulder: if you ever wondered what poetry in motion looked like, that was it.

Ten minutes later, and right on half-time (literally) Chris Malone scored Bath's third try. Again from a Bath scrum, Olly Barkley dashed through the Quins' defence and was hauled down just short of the goal line. Fortunately Chris Malone was on hand to take the ball and run in to the far corner for the points. A superb Barkley touchline kick saw Bath convert five points into seven.

Picture courtesy Jules

Harlequins started the second half as they had the first, in control, and soon scored a penalty. Tries from Brown and Easter followed and it looked as though they had scored again when a double movement on the Bath goal line denied them. Nick Easter complained rather too vigorously for the referee's liking and was shown a red card. A bit harsh from my viewpoint but given how well he was playing I wasn't sad to see him leave the field.

Unfortunately Bath couldn't keep up their first half momentum for most of the second period and it was just fits and starts of excellent play which saw them defend manfully when required and score their, so important, fourth try. A late yellow card for Bendy saw Bath go down to 14 men but when it looked as though they would again have to man the fortress on their own line Nick Walshe chased the ball some forty yards up-field to ensure the game petered out deep in the Quins' twenty-two.

Picture courtesy Jules

My expert rugby pundit, Sue, told me at half time that Steve Borthwick was making all the difference to the side. Hard to disagree that it's great to have our leader back on the pitch after his long lay-off.

What a cracking game and performance from Bath. We're scoring tries, kicking our conversions, running with the ball and looking confident. Blimey I'm getting excited as I write this!

Referee: Rob Debney (Leicestershire)

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