Harlequins came to the West Country at the top of the Premiership table, an unaccustomed height from which they would fall if they did not win. They gave notice to the Premiership that they intended to be in the play-off mix.

What followed was a defensive performance that was magnificent and needs a whole thesaurus of synonyms to describe it properly.  An outstanding scrummaging performance by the pack wholly out-gunned their opponents and led to the decisive passage of play as they gained a penalty try with the Bath pack in total disarray. Later, too, when Mike Ross had been despatched to the sin-bin and a seven-man pack had to defend a scrum under their own posts they took Bath’s ball against the head.

Bath was also hampered by a miserable kicking display from Bath fly-half Butch James who landed only one of four easy penalty kicks. Chris Malone, by contrast, missed only one of four penalties.  Malone also produced a try-saving tackle on Crockett just short of the line and later was able to get his body under Abendanon as the Bath full-back crossed the line but was unable to touch down for the try.

But all through the game there were exceptional plays by Harlequins determined to come home with the win. The backs, too, played their part as Bath squandered such openings as they had created.  Gonzalo Tiesi and De Wet Barry tackled ferociously all afternoon.  David Strettle made a try saving intervention against Crockett and later produced a run out of his own twenty-two, with Danny Care in support that took Bath back to defend a line-out five metres from their own line and led eventually to the sequence of scrums that ended with the penalty try.  Despite not having the opportunity to run, Ugo Monye’s superb diving interception to turn over ball close to his own try-line and snuffed out yet another Bath attack.

A kick from Danny Care along the touchline was touched in flight and fell to Tom Williams, whose chip ahead forced Abendanon to carry over his own try-line.  The subsequent scrum produced the position from which Danny Care kicked the drop goal that sealed the victory taking the score to 3 –16 with thirteen minutes remaining and with only two minutes remaining Malone increased the score to the final 3 – 19.

And then there was Easter, captain for the day after the late withdrawal of Will Skinner, who led with intelligence and commitment and whose decision to take the scrum instead of three easy points led directly to the penalty try.  The whole pack, led by Gary Botha with Ross and Jones in support, was immense and McMillan was an able substitute for Skinner. But it is almost invidious to single out anyone from what was a committed and unified performance.

After the match Bath coach Steve Meehan could hardly conceal his anger at the performance of his team.  He wore a face like thunder and could offer no explanation for poor decision-making and failure to take chances.  By contrast Dean Richards was in benign and comparatively expansive mood.  He praised the team spirit and effort saying, "I thought we stuck at the job pretty well. Defensively, we were outstanding, but we have been all season. It is such an important area of the game. I also thought we had Bath on toast in the scrum during the first half, and the guys have really grown in stature over the last year. They are soaking it up; they are loving it. They have become far more streetwise now, and there is a confidence in the side, as people saw today."

Asked about the Heineken Cup match against Leinster next week, Dean Richards said the team saw it as just another game on our own ground, The players had a job to do and would do it.

Bath: N Abendanon; J Maddock, A Crockett (capt, S Berne 71), S Hape, M Banahan (A Higgins 71); B James, S Bemand (M Baxter 83); D Barnes, L Mears (R Hawkins 83), D Bell (A Jarvis 46), J Harrison, S Hooper (P Short 57), A Beattie, J Scaysbrook, J Fa'amatuainu (C Goodman 68).

Harlequins: M Brown (W Luveniyali 82); D Strettle, G Tiesi, De Wet Barry, U Monye (T Williams 72); C Malone, D Care; C Jones, G Botha (T Fuga 82), M Ross (T Guest 68), J Percival (J Evans 58), G Robson, C Robshaw, N McMillan               (M Lambert 54), N Easter (capt).

Referee: D Pearson (Northumberland).

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