A brutal 14-point swing from a Santiago Carreras wonder-try decided Harlequins’ opening Prem season match against Bath, but even in defeat, a strange glimmer of hope emerged for a squad missing four major players. The hosts battled hard on a balmy September night, showing a fight that was definitely missing in last year’s dismal start.
Key Injuries Crippled the Quins’ Opener
Talk about a tough break before the season even really got going! Harlequins hit the pitch without Marcus Smith, Alex Dombrandt, Fin Baxter, and new recruit George Furbank. Losing both Smith and Furbank in their final preseason game was a huge blow, stripping the team of serious leadership and quality right out of the gate. Coach Jason Gilmore summed it up, “There were moments today that last year Bath would have run in three tries really quickly. We created a lot of line breaks out there and then were just a bit impatient. I’m proud of the boys efforts and we definitely competed hard, but disappointed that we blew a few chances.” This defeat, coming almost exactly 12 months after a similar loss to Bath that kicked off a season of “tumult and trouble,” really had fans holding their breath. But hey, the bright side? All but Dombrandt are expected back in the next couple of weeks.
Carreras’ Magic Try Was the Decider
The game itself felt like a typical “opening skirmish” of the season, with the ball spending as much time bouncing around as it did in anyone’s hands. Harlequins actually got a couple of lucky bounces for their first half scores. Will Porter grabbed one after a lineout, and Oscar Beard scored after a friendly ricochet from an aerial contest, finished by a long-striding Chandler Cunningham-South. But Bath always looked like they were closer to clicking. Dan du Preez, the new guy lured from Sale, punched in an early short-range try, and Joe Cokanasiga cut a sharp angle for another. Then came the real gut-punch: Carreras’ unbelievable third try. He jutted out a leg to intercept what should have been a scoring pass to Beard, then dashed under the posts. Bath boss Johann van Graan was absolutely hyped, calling it “try of the season for us in round one.” He’s right, what a moment.
What’s Next for the Emerald City’s… Er, Quins?
Even with the loss, the “spunk, spice and spite” in Harlequins’ performance would have fired up a Stoop crowd that got pretty “unfaithful” last year. That’s a good sign, right? Still, there are “nagging concerns about the state of what feels a strangely shallow squad.” In the end, it was a pointless outing for them on the table, and Gilmore knows there’s “much, much more work to be done.” But with Smith, Baxter, and Furbank all expected back in the next couple of weeks, this team has to build on that fighting spirit. Can they take this early season grit and turn it into real wins once they are finally healthy? That’s the huge question for their 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.
Leave a Reply