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All Blacks prop George Bower has message for the Bok scrum
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Wales star's injury adds to Harlequins' woes in heavy loss to Bath
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Two first-half tries by the multi-talented Santi Carreras set the scene for another runaway victory in the evening sunshine for Bath, who ran out 48-15 winners against Harlequins.
The 64-cap Argentina international, who started the game at full-back and finished at fly-half, also kicked a conversion as Bath ran in eight tries to reinforce their second place in the PREM Rugby table.
Their defence of the title now moves on to next Saturday and a clash with table-topping Northampton.
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Harlequins did not submit as easily as the scoreline suggests, staying in the game until well into the second half.
All the punditry beforehand was of their lengthening injury list, but it was Bath who had to make a late change when captain Ben Spencer pulled out with a sore shoulder. Tom Carr-Smith stepped up from the bench.
The Londoners had made a lively start in front of their travelling support until Carreras picked off an ambitious pass by fly-half Jarrod Evans and raced 65 metres to the try-line. Finn Russell’s conversion put Bath 7-0 ahead with five minutes on the clock.
That lead was quickly trimmed to 7-5 after Alex Dombrandt broke away from a maul and offloaded to centre Bryn Bradlee for a well-deserved try. Marcus Smith’s conversion hit the post from out wide.
With Alfie Barbeary in bullocking mood, Bath came back just as quickly to fashion a try for scrum-half Carr-Smith, supporting Joe Cokanasiga’s angled run to the posts from the right wing.
Russell’s conversion made it 14-8, but indiscipline and inaccuracy was undermining the home side’s efforts and the excellent Dombrandt was unlucky to have a try ruled out for blocking.
Smith pulled back three points with a straightforward penalty before a sidestepping Carreras scored a try on the half-hour, converted by Russell, which put the hosts into a 21-8 half-time lead.
Hooker Tom Dunn secured the bonus point immediately after the break, but Quins refused to lie down and an intercepted pass off Russell presented lock Kieran Treadwell with a try in the corner, converted by Smith.
Bath then set about their opponents in more ruthless fashion as Ewan Richards was fed a try-scoring pass by Barbeary.
Wholesale changes from the bench also had the desired effect as pacy back row Josh Bayliss scored the sixth try and England flanker Guy Pepper crossed in the other corner for a try converted by Carreras.
Replacement scrum-half Bernard van der Linde had a kick-and-chase touchdown disallowed before adding Bath’s eighth try on the final whistle.
Worryingly for Quins, Wales fly-half Evan left the field clutching his shoulder in agony on 56 minutes, while England winger Cadan Murley also left early due to a HIA.
addiontional reporting RugbyPass
