Harlequins in top form
HARLEQUINS overcame their recent poor form to seal their second victory of this season's Champions Cup following a 25-19 triumph over Bath at the Rec.
Bath are staring at a first topflight European whitewash after Quins won the Pool Three encounter thanks to tries from flanker James Chisholm, wing Gabriel Ibitoye and number eight Alex Dombrandt, while Brett Herron kicked two conversions and two penalties.
Bath managed three touchdowns of their own – hooker Jack Walker, wing Gabe Hamer-Webb and centre Jackson Willison the scorers – and Freddie Burns added two conversions.
The West Country club have never lost all their pool games in a European campaign, but a 16th season of European Cup rugby will officially be their worst if they are toppled by Ulster next Saturday and suffer a sixth successive defeat.
They – and potentially England – also suffered an injury scare when Anthony Watson limped out of the encounter.
Watson, one of England's star performers at the World Cup in Japan, went off nursing a leg problem 11 minutes into the second-half.
The Bath full-back underlined his frustration in front of watching England head coach Eddie Jones by hurling his gum-shield to the ground before leaving the action.
England look like being without injured Exeter centre Henry Slade for the early Six Nations action, with the World Cup runners-up facing France in a Paris opener on February 2.
Bath and Quins had already been eliminated from the quarter-final race, trailing way off a scorching pace set by Ulster and French heavyweights Clermont Auvergne.
And Quins emerged victorious at the Recreation Ground, guaranteeing that Bath will finish bottom of the group and confirming a miserable European campaign.
Watson captained a Bath team showing 14 changes from the side beaten by Premiership opponents Gloucester last weekend, with Jonathan Joseph, Sam Underhill and Taulupe Faletau among those rested.