Bath absolutely kicked off their new Prem season in style, taking down Harlequins 33-17 on opening night, and full-back Santiago Carreras delivered an early “try of the season” contender that you have to see to believe. This bonus-point victory was exactly what Bath needed to shake off a disappointing end to their last campaign, and Carreras’ wizardry was the highlight.
Seriously, Did You See That Carreras Try?!
Talk about pure magic! Carreras, the Argentina international, pulled off a play that’s gonna be on highlight reels all year. He’s standing there, just inside his own 22, and boom! He intercepts a Tyrone Green pass with his boot. Not with his hands, with his foot! The ball goes soaring into the air, and then he collects it one-handed, somehow, before it even thinks about going out of play. Then, like it’s nothing, he smoothly accelerates away and scores under the posts. That’s the kind of play that makes you rewind the DVR five times, right? That moment of brilliance was the crown jewel in Bath’s dominant performance.
Bath Came Out Firing, Quins Tried to Hang On
Before Carreras even dropped jaws, Bath was already putting points on the board. Dan du Preez powered over for a try in the 12th minute after their line-out catch and drive was stopped, showing some serious muscle right from the start. Joe Cokanasiga then sprinted through a huge gap in the Quins defense for Bath’s second try, and Finn Russell’s second conversion made it 14-5. The hosts did reply though, with Will Porter picking up a loose ball from a Quins line-out to score, and Chandler Cunningham-South crossing after an Oscar Beard aerial win and a Connor Slevin pass. But Bath’s pack was just too much, splintering the Quins forwards for hooker Dan Frost to score in first-half added time. Russell was lights out with four kicks from four, giving Bath a commanding 28-10 lead at the break.
Grit and Glamour Close Out a Crucial Win
The second half saw Harlequins try to claw their way back, with Pedro Delgado crossing from close range early on. Slevin slotted his first conversion, cutting the lead to 11 points. Things got heated when replacement hooker Sam Riley got a yellow card for a high tackle just three minutes after coming on, reducing the home side to 14 men. Bath didn’t immediately capitalize on the man advantage, but they showed their resilience, grabbing a fifth try after 71 minutes from another maul, this time with replacement second row Ewan Richards as the scorer. That late try completely snuffed out any Harlequins comeback hopes, ensuring Bath started their season with a statement 33-17 victory. What a start to the season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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