Henry Arundell inspires Bath to comeback win after Evans hat-trick

The openside Evans was everywhere as Quins produced a start to surprise even their most ardent fans. They had not only lost all their warm-up games but also their head coach, Danny Wilson, who left to become Wales assistant coach just a fortnight ago.

Then there was the discontent over recruitment, or the lack of it, and a playing style which last season brought the club’s lowest league finish since 2018 and went away from the flair and derring-do Quins’ fans hold so dear.

If that was the perception outside the Stoop, it did not look half as grave within the four walls as Evans tore into Bath. The 28-year old is a stranger to Test rugby, yet for half an hour led a posse of internationals a merry dance.

The flanker went over for his first inside two minutes, finishing a sweet move made possible by Tyrone Green’s eye for an opening and footwork to dance through the smallest of holes. Seven minutes later he was at it again, this time Fin Baxter sending him over.

Whenever Quins got close Evans was there in support. Neutrals had doubtless switched on expecting Arundell to be that player for a dominant Bath. Evans and the Londoners had other ideas.

Jason Gilmore, the Quins head coach, told TNT Sports after the match: “He’s one of the most underrated players I’ve ever seen. If he was back in Australia he’d probably be an international seven. It’s a pretty hotly contested position here in England. He’s everything for us. He’s the heartbeat of our football team.”

When the openside completed his hat-trick on the half hour, after Will Porter had beaten Arundell to a high ball, Quins were as jubilant as Johann van Graan, the Bath director of rugby, was unimpressed.

“We’ve got to do better in the air,” he muttered and word quickly spread to a team who lost only four times in the league all of last season. Quins led 17-7 and the visitors knew they had better get out of first gear or risk a tongue-lashing at change of ends.

It was then their cause received a massive helping hand from Chandler Cunningham-South, who went from persistent menace to sin bin in one fell swoop. It would prove the turning point.

With the England forward off the field, Bath struck twice. First the prop Vili Sela dotted down on his first start, then Beno Obano followed him over after a scorching counter from Arundell.

So much is expected of Arundell, a young man blessed with blinding pace. In the 2023 World Cup he scored five tries in one match, albeit against Chile. No England player has ever scored more.

It took him a while to get comfortable here. But once he settled there was no doubting his talent nor what an asset he will be to a side hardly in need of further stardust.

It helped nobody that the game was reduced to uncontested scrums after Quins lost their only two specialist hookers to injury. But Arundell kept his focus, helped by a peach of a scoring pass from Max Ojomoh.

Van Graan spoke glowingly about Arundell to TNT Sports after the match: “The one thing he has that you can’t coach is speed. Since coming to us he has kept his head down and worked and worked. He is going to score some fantastic tries for us. I believe he’ll be amazing in the coming years.”

While his two scores were walk-ins, the 22-year old is up and running. And that is bad news for every pretender to Bath’s throne.

Scorers: Harlequins: Tries W Evans 3 (2min, 9, 30), Kenningham (71), Green (79). Cons J Evans 3. Bath: Tries Dunn (16), Sela (35), Obano (42), Arundell 2 (56, 77), Griffin (63), Underhill (70). Cons Spencer 5, De Glanville.

Harlequins T Green; N David, O Beard (L Kolade 63), S Kerr, C Murley; J Evans, W Porter (M Green 60); F Baxter, J Walker (G Turner 30, J Els 54), H Williams, C Cunningham-South (sin-bin 34, J Green 60), K Treadwell, J Kenningham, W Evans (Z Carr 57), A Dombrandt (capt).

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