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Bath top table at Christmas with hard-fought victory against Harlequins
By PA
Bath top the Gallagher Premiership at Christmas after winning an absorbing battle with fellow title contenders Harlequins 25-17 at the Rec.
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England wing Joe Cokanasiga scored twice, with his second try clinching an important bonus point late on.
Other Bath tries went to lock Elliott Stooke and flanker Miles Reid, while the Londoners stayed in contention with tries from fly-half Marcus Smith, hooker Jack Walker and flanker James Chisholm.
Bath took the lead within two minutes. Will Muir leapt high to tap back Ben Spencer’s lofted kick and Finn Russell somehow found space on the right to release Ollie Lawrence.
Cokanasiga was on his shoulder to steam through Tyrone Green’s attempted tackle but Russell’s conversion attempt was wide.
There was hardly time for the sell-out crowd to savour that score before Smith danced through the home defence to score at the other end, although he hooked his kick against a post.
The swirling wind and rain made handling difficult and Bath looked particularly vulnerable in defence. Quins, enjoying a territorial advantage, looked smarter on both sides of the ball throughout the first quarter.
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However, their indiscipline cost them prime attacking positions and a fumble by Alex Dombrandt brought a prolonged assault on the Bath line to a halt.
The home side suddenly burst into life on the half-hour as Will Muir galloped away from his 22, eventually finding Spencer in support.
The scrum-half had to catch the offload behind his back but the ball came back at a ruck under the posts and Max Ojomoh scored on the left – or so it seemed.
Instead referee Luke Pearce brought play back, yellow-carded Danny Care for falling on the tackled player and Russell put his side ahead 8-3 with a penalty.
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There was still time before the break for Reid to save Bath at the other end with a turnover penalty.
Bath struck quickly after the restart with a catch-and-drive try by Stooke and followed up in the 48th minute with another spectacular effort by Cokanasiga, steamrollering over Smith’s attempted tackle. Russell’s conversion, the first of the game, took Bath 20-5 ahead.
Yet the visitors were not about to lie down and Smith’s penalty to the corner led to a catch-and-drive for Walker on his 50th appearance since joining from Bath.
Smith converted but Bath were gaining the upper hand and Russell’s inch-perfect tactical kicking set up a line-out in the corner. This time it was Reid who profited, leaving the home side with an 11-point lead and just six minutes to defend it.
Unfortunately for Quins, Chisholm’s last-minute score came too late.
They might have claimed a losing bonus point but Smith again hooked his conversion against a post.
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The writer here ignores the fact that, following on from not taking the penalty kick, the All Blacks did manage to score a try a few minutes later. Not directly from the penalty awarded, but it is speculation to say that had they opted to take the koi they would have won. Even if they kicked it, which was no guarantee, they would still be trailing and would have had to start again at half-way.
Go to commentsI would be surprised if Sales Opoku Fordjour and Northampton’s Tommy Freeman are not in the team, Anthony Watson is also one that could go on the wing. One thing I must say is that the front 3 will get destroyed against a team like South Africa.
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