Bath begin title defence with comeback win at Quins

The Prem

Harlequins (17) 31

Tries: W Evans 3, Kenningham, T Green Cons: J Evans 3

Bath (14) 47

Tries: Dunn, Sela, Obano, Arundell 2, Griffin, Underhill Cons: Spencer 5, De Glanville

Reigning champions Bath put on a commanding second-half performance to fight back at Harlequins and begin their title defence with a bonus-point win.

The hosts had made a blistering start to the match with flanker Will Evans scoring a hat-trick inside 30 minutes.

Tom Dunn's reply meant the score was 12-7 when Chandler Cunningham-South was sent to the sin-bin on 33 minutes.

And Bath made the extra player count with tries from Vilikesa Sela and then Beno Obano within two minutes of the restart to take the lead for the first time.

Harlequins lost both hookers Jack Walker and George Turner to injury, meaning the last 26 minutes were played out with uncontested scrums and Bath took full advantage of the imbalance in the Quins pack.

Debutant Henry Arundell scored twice, and Archie Griffin and Sam Underhill also touched down to secure a dominant win, with Jack Kenningham and Tyrone Green crossing the whitewash to earn the home side a bonus point in the second half.

More to follow.

Harlequins: T Green; David, Beard, Kerr, Murley; J Evans, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Williams, Cunningham-South, Treadwell, Kenningham, W Evans, Dombrandt

Replacements: Turner, Els, Streeter, J Green, Carr, M Green, Kolade, Anderson

Sin-bin: Cunningham-South [33]

Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, Arundell; Ojomoh, Spencer; Obano, Dunn, Sela, Roux, Ewels, Bayliss, Pepper, Reid

Replacements: Tuipulotu, Van Wyk, Griffin, Molony, Hill, Carr-Smith, Harris, Underhill

Referee: Stuart Terheege