Smith pulls the strings as Harlequins survive late scare against Bath

Marcus Smith won a points victory over his fly-half rival Finn Russell as Harlequins bounced back against Bath but the Londoners should have won by an early knockout. After 50 minutes Quins were leading 40-3 and Smith strutting his stuff in the sunshine, but then they nearly threw it all away.

It would not be Harlequins to keep their foot down for 80 minutes and after delighting a packed Stoop with six tries they conceded five, with the wing Will Muir, the back-row Alfie Barbeary, the replacement scrum-half Louis Schreuder, Elliott Stooke and Ruaridh McConnochie all scoring. Harlequins lost Louis Lynagh and Irne Herbst to the sin-bin and Bath took full toll to get a losing bonus point and a try bonus point. How Harlequins it all was, but the two points Bath take home could be crucial.

Smith scored one sumptuous first-half try after he opted to chip and chase when a drop goal or a cross kick were on. You could almost hear his brain whirring from the stands. But it was not all front-foot razzle dazzle from his side. The young prop Fin Baxter put in a massive defensive display, leaving his mark on several Bath players before getting a standing ovation when he was replaced on the hour just as Harlequins started to collapse.

The back-rowers Will Evans, Alex Dombrandt and Stephan Lewies gave Quins a strong platform as well, giving Smith the chance to shine, and the lock Joe Launchbury did the same. But the wheels came off as they let Bath back into the match and nearly handed it to them.

Quins were sixth coming into this fixture after last weekend’s 52-7 hammering by an inspired Saracens at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They held a brutal review into that performance at their Guildford training base on Monday and it paid off. Northampton showed them how to do it, beating Saracens on Friday after a 50-point hosing of their own against Bristol. In a topsy-turvy campaign, the silly season has come early.

Crazily there are only 10 points between second and eighth spot and the Londoners know how to win the Premiership with a late run, as they did in 2021.

Bath are on the up. Johann van Graan managed to make five changes but still keep an impressively strong side after their 42-24 win over Sale last Sunday. Things have been quiet down by the banks of the Avon in the last few years but Van Graan has looked as if he is piecing together a side who could challenge at the business end of the season.

Unfortunately, that illusion seemed shattered in a madcap first 40 minutes when Harlequins, with Smith the puppet master, scored five tries and were everything they were not last weekend. They dominated the collisions, giving Smith the keys to unlock the Bath defence. He needed no second invitation.

The centre André Esterhuizen, who is returning to South Africa in the summer, went over after a flat pass from Danny Care to get Quins up and running on two minutes. Smith then got the second when he hoodwinked the Bath defence.

The wing Lynagh got the end of a move started by Care’s quick tap, the No 8 Dombrandt powered over and Smith’s deft pass to Lynagh ended with Evans scoring under the sticks just before the break.

Bath threw on Barbeary to give themselves some physicality but Esterhuizen, on his 30th birthday, was presented with his second score by his teammates as Bath were ripped open yet again.

Then Russell started to get his side going and they got the scoreboard whirring. It was nervy stuff for Quins but they got over the line – just. They should have been home and hosed much earlier.