Bath Rugby delivered a commanding performance against Harlequins on Friday night at the Twickenham Stoop, triumphing 33-17 in the first round of the 2026/27 Gallagher Premiership. The highlight of the match came courtesy of Santi Carreras, whose exceptional try altered the course of the game and showcased his resurgence since joining Bath from Gloucester a year ago.
Carreras’ move to Bath was met with controversy, as Gloucester supporters lamented the loss of their talisman. The Argentine full-back initially found life challenging at his new club, with criticism directed at him following Bath’s semi-final exit in the 2025/26 season. However, head coach Johann van Graan expressed confidence in Carreras’ progress after recent training sessions, describing a period when he appeared “like the best player in the world.”
That promise was fulfilled on Friday evening when, trailing 10-14, Carreras produced a stunning defensive play and attacking break. As Harlequins threatened to score, Carreras intercepted a high pass, sprinted 70 metres, and scored under the posts, igniting the Bath supporters and swinging momentum firmly in his team’s favour.
READ MORE: Westbury Leigh C of E Primary School Welcomes New Headteacher with Vision for Improvement
READ MORE: Beloved Bath bar Kingsmead Street Bottle to close permanently this weekend
Bath extended their lead before half-time to 28-10, utilising their robust line-out maul to great effect. Although Quins staged a strong rally after the interval, Bath maintained composure and finished the match strongly. Despite missing key England players Marcus Smith, Alex Dombrandt, Fin Baxter and George Furbank due to injury, Harlequins displayed pace and skill, with notable contributions from Will Porter and Chandler Cunningham-South.
The game featured an exhange of tries, with Dan du Preez touching down off a rolling maul for Bath, while Porter responded with a breakaway score for Quins. Joe Cokanasiga added another try for Bath following a dynamic run by Carreras and Cunningham-South.
Quins' Pedro Delgado crossed in the third quarter, signalling a brief period of sustained pressure. However, Bath responded through Dan Frost and Ewan Richards, both scoring from powerful maul drives, sealing their victory.
The match was officiated by referee Karl Dickson, supported by assistant referees Joe James and Simon Harding, with David Rose overseeing decisions as TMO.
Bath Rugby squad against Harlequins:
- 15 Santi Carreras
- 14 Joe Cokanasiga
- 13 Ollie Lawrence
- 12 Max Ojomoh
- 11 Tom de Glanville
- 10 Finn Russell
- 9 Tom Carr-Smith
- 1 Beno Obano
- 2 Dan Frost
- 3 Will Stuart
- 4 Ted Hill
- 5 Charlie Ewels (captain)
- 6 Josh Bayliss
- 7 Sam Underhill
- 8 Dan du Preez
Replacements:
- 16 Kepueli Tuipulotu
- 17 Scott Kirk
- 18 Archie Griffin
- 19 Ewan Richards
- 20 Guy Pepper
- 21 Bernard van der Linde
- 22 Cameron Redpath
- 23 Miles Reid
Harlequins starting lineup:
- 15 Tyrone Green
- 14 Cameron Anderson
- 13 Oscar Beard
- 12 Bryn Bradley
- 11 Cadan Murley (captain)
- 10 Connor Slevin
- 9 Will Porter
- 1 Will Hobson
- 2 Jack Walker
- 3 Pedro Delgado
- 4 James Dun
- 5 Harry Browne
- 6 Jack Kenningham
- 7 Will Evans
- 8 Chandler Cunningham-South
Replacements:
- 16 Sam Riley
- 17 Boris Wenger
- 18 Harry Johnson-Holmes
- 19 Kieran Treadwell
- 20 Guido Petti Pagadizábal
- 21 Lucas Friday
- 22 Josh Bellamy
- 23 Rodrigo Isgró