Premiership: Harlequins 31-17 Bath - Champions claim bonus-point victory

Premiership champions Harlequins made it four bonus-point wins from five games as they came from behind to beat Bath at the Stoop.

After Quins led 12-3 with two tries from Andre Esterhuizen, Bath cashed in on a yellow card for Joe Marler to move 17-12 ahead at the break with tries from Sam Underhill and Will Stuart.

But fly-half Marcus Smith converted his own superb try to regain the lead.

Joe Marchant then went over for the bonus point before adding a second.

Quins had on show all four players - Alex Dombrandt, Marler, Marchant and Smith - included by England boss Eddie Jones in his Autumn Nations Series squad. And they all made an impact, one way or another.

In front of another packed crowd in south-west London, Quins were comfortably ahead when Marler's challenge on Tom de Glanville from Max Ojomoh's kick up-ended the Bath full-back.

The visitors expected a red card but, after a long consultation with his TMO, referee Luke Pearce deemed it worthy of a yellow.

Even so, bottom-of-the-table Bath then crossed twice in five minutes to turn the game around.

Bath, beaten 71-17 at home last weekend by Saracens, the most points they have ever conceded in a Premiership match, had made nine changes for the trip to the Stoop.

That included Danny Cipriani being left on the bench and one enforced late switch, with Ojomoh in at inside centre to replace England's Jonathan Joseph.

But, while this was a much better effort, with Cipriani's replacement Orlando Bailey kicking three goals to add to their two tries, the visitors were up against it once Marler's return evened up the numbers.

Five minutes after the restart, Smith made a looping run from a scrum before darting through a gap to score, his conversion restoring the hosts' lead.

But victory was not secured until six minutes from time when Dombrandt's quick hands gave Marchant the space to score in the corner to earn a ninth-successive home bonus-point victory, before Smith set up the centre for his second in the last minute.

Harlequins head coach Tabai Matson:

(On Joe Marler's challenge on Tom De Glanville): "Whenever someone lands on their shoulder, it has to be looked at, but there were mitigating factors."

(On Quins' other three England squad members): "Good players like Marcus Smith keep their powder dry until something arises.

"Not many forwards can do what Alex Dombrandt does, although the international game is another level.

"I do not know the opportunities they will get, but I wish them well."

Bath boss Stuart Hooper:

"We understand what we need to do next weekend against Wasps. We have our backs against the wall and need to move forward. One of the great things about sport is that people have opinions, but we know where we are headed and the steps we need to take.

"We got back to a level we expect of ourselves physically, but we gave away too many penalties in the second half and could not get out of our own half."

Bath captain Charlie Ewels:

"Players are putting their bodies on the line as you saw when Tom De Glanville, Joe Simpson and Beno Obano all played on despite suffering injuries that meant they had to come off.

"We are not happy to be stuck in a losing rut, but I hope people are seeing the desire and the fight in the side. Confidence was the difference. One side had it, the other did not.

"The young guys bring energy and we older ones need to steer the ship. The experienced guys have been in this position before. We know that you get back on track by doubling down and blotting out the noise from outside."

Harlequins: Green; Lynagh, Marchant, Esterhuizen, Murley; Smith, Care; Marler, Walker, Collier, Symons, Lamb, Chisholm, Lawday, Dombrandt (capt).

Replacements: Riley, Garcia Botta, Kerrod, Tizard, Wallace, Steele, Jones, Northmore.

Sin-bin: Marler (25)

Bath: De Glanville; Rokoduguni, Clark, Ojomoh, McConnochie; Bailey, Simpson; Obano, Du Toit, Stuart, McNally, Ewels (capt), Ellis, Underhill, Coetzee.

Replacements: Dunn, Boyce, Rae, Williams, De Carpentier, Fox, Cipriani, Hamer-Webb.

Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU).