Bath leave it late for victory at the Stoop
Last Updated: 09/05/15 1:05pm
George Ford kicked a 75th-minute penalty as Bath beat Harlequins 27-26 at the Stoop on Friday night.
The lead changed hands seven times as Bath managed to squeeze a vital win in the penultimate round of the Premiership to secure second spot in the standings. Only Saracens can now rob them of a home semi-final.
Tries from Francois Louw, Horacio Agulla and Leroy Houston were enough to down Harlequins as Bath secured a play-off spot with one round of competition remaining.
It was Ugo Monye, playing in his last home game for Harlequins, who opened the scoring for the home side. Marland Yarde broke free up the right and drew a defender before popping to the supporting Danny Care. Care was brought down right in front of the poles, but the ball was recycled and quickly spun left, where it fell to Monye for an easy score for the veteran winger.
Jack Clifford was then shown a yellow card for a professional foul in front of his line, but in that ten-minute period with an extra man, Bath were only able to add three points.
As Clifford returned to the field, Bath strung together a series of passes inside the opposition half, and with a great change of direction Francois Louw was put into space with the final pass and crossed the whitewash for the visitors - Ford extended the lead with his boot.
Harlequins came back with three points from Nick Evans, and as they closed the gap on the scoreboard their forwards began to gain the ascendency in the scrums, resulting in a penalty try in the 38th minute, which allowed the home side to go into the break with a 15-10 lead after the conversion.
It was Bath who scored first in the second period through Argentina’s Agulla. Bath were awarded a penalty from which they opted to kick to the corner, and form the lineout Peter Stringer fired a brilliantly timed pass to the winger, who ran in under the poles for an easy conversion for Ford.
Harlequins were next to take control of the scoreboard, with two penalties form the boot of Evans to take a narrow 21-17 lead in the 55th minute.
As the third quarter drew to a close Bath found themselves pounding the home side’s line. Replacement prop Nick Auterac received the ball from Stringer, popped to Sam Burgess who tried to do the same but it was batted back by Care. Unfortunately for Care he hit the ball into the hands of Houston who scored for the visitors, giving his side a three-point lead following the conversion.
Bath took the ball off the kick, but the ball spilled out the back of the ruck. Harlequins pounced and sent the ball right to the waiting Monye to claim his second of the night – 26-24 to Harlequins with 18 minutes remaining.
The two sides were unable to push their position any further until Harlequins were penalised for going into the side of a ruck, and Ford gave his side a one-point lead with five minutes left in the game.
Bath were able to control the ball in the final moments, and though Harlequins were last in possession, they were unable to make use of it as Bath took a vital win as the race for Premiership play-off places closes out.
