 Maddock scored Bath's second try |
Bath 31 (24)
Tries: Borthwick, Maddock, Malone, Fuimaono-Sapolu
Cons: Barkley 4
Pen: Barkley
Harlequins 23 (6)
Tries: Brown, Easter
Cons: Jarvis 2
Pens: Jarvis 3
Harlequins had number eight Nick Easter sent off as their winning run in the Premiership came to an end at the Rec.
Quins were looking for their sixth straight victory in all competitions but were 24-6 down at the break as the home side ran in three tries.
The visitors did rally through a Mike Brown try but Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu crossed to effectively seal the win.
Easter, who was yellow-carded in the first half, then scored but was dismissed with five minutes to go.
He complained to the referee after Will Skinner looked to have scored but was penalised for trying to play the ball after the tackle.
England and Lions prop Matt Stevens made a winning return to action in his first appearance for 10 months.
Stevens played the full 80 minutes at tight-head and appeared to show no ill
effects after a lengthy recuperation from shoulder surgery.
Bath head coach Steve Meehan (on the return of Matt Stevens):
"From a strength point of view, he was fine. "He coped with the collisions although the match fitness is not there but I was impressed with his basic understanding of how we want to play.
"If he is going to figure in the England squad for the Six Nations, it will be in the latter part."
On Bath's bonus-point victory, Meehan said: "It was nice that we were solid up front.
"It gave us a foundation as everyone could see in the first 40 minutes. That's the rugby we've been trying to play."
Harlequins rugby director Dean Richards:
"There's a huge amount of potential in the side and perhaps we could have come away with something. "Bath deserved to win but it was disappointing to get nothing.
"I was pleased that the guys kept at it. We did allow the ref to get to us but, once we put that to one side, we began to play some rugby."
Bath: Nick Abendanon; Joe Maddock, Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, Olly Barkley, Michael Stephenson; Chris Malone, Nick Walshe; David Barnes, Lee Mears, Matt Stevens, Steve Borthwick (capt), Danny Grewcock, Andy Beattie, James Scaysbrook, Isaac Feaunati.
Replacements: Pieter Dixon, Aaron Jarvis, Peter Short, Gareth Delve, Michael Lipman, Andy Williams, Shaun Berne.
Harlequins: Mike Brown; David Strettle, Hal Luscombe, Stuart Abbott, Simon Keogh; Adrian Jarvis, Andy Gomarsall; Aston Croall, Tani Fuga, Mike Ross, Ollie Kohn, Nicolas Spanghero, Andre Vos, Paul Volley (capt), Nick Easter.
Replacements: Jimmy Richards, Ricky Nebbett, Jim Evans, Will Skinner, Chris Hala'Ufia, Steve So'oialo, Mel Deane.
Referee: Rob Debney (Leicestershire)
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