Harlequins (7) 10
Tries: So'ioalo
Pens: Malone
Cons: Malone

Bath maintained their excellent early season Guinness Premiership form to leapfrog Harlequins into second place with a hard-fought victory at the Rec.

Shaun Byrne played a key role for the hosts, scoring a try and booting a brace of penalties and conversions.

Michael Stephenson and Peter Short also crossed for Bath, who held a 15-7 advantage at the break.

Steve So'oialo gave Harlequins hope with a try just before the break while Chris Malone kicked their other points.

Former Rec favourite Malone's successor as Bath play-maker, young Ryan Davis, caught the eye with a mature performance.

But Quins fly-half Malone himself was off target with a couple of early penalty attempts and looked unusually hesitant.

Quins, with only one win at the Rec since 1999, came into the game lying second behind Gloucester, despite having lost four away games from the end of last season.

But their opponents were able to maintain a long unbeaten home sequence in the Premiership which stretches back to last November.

"We had an opportunity to score a try early in the second half but didn't and that became a 10-point turnaround because Quins kicked a penalty.

"We are fine when we are getting it right but it's frustrating when we are not quite as precise as we can be."

"It's fair to say the boys didn't play as well as they could do.

"It's difficult to pick up points away from home and their pack was very experienced. I'll be very disappointed if we don't learn from this defeat."

Bath: Abendanon, Stephenson, Cheeseman, Berne, Davey, Davis, Claassens; Barnes, Dixon, Ion, Short, Grewcock, Faamatuainu, Lipman, Feaunati.
Replacements: Hawkins, Flatman, Beattie, Browne, Walshe, Crockett, Cuthbert.

Harlequins: Brown, Williams, Luscombe, Turner Hall, Keogh, Malone, So'oialo; Jones, Fuga, Ross, Kohn, Evans, Robshaw, Volley, Guest. Replacements: Brooker, Brooks, Spanghero, Skinner, Hala'ufia, Masson, Monye.