Harlequins and Bath draw as Lewis Moody returns
Harlequins managed to secure two points in a 6-6 draw with Bath in a drab game in the Aviva Premiership on Sunday, 31 October.
Neither side were capable of cutting out their errors in a game that was riddled with mistakes.
Olly Barkley scored two penalties in each half to give Bath a 6-0 lead, before Nick Evans replied with two penalties for the home side to give them a deserved draw and two points.
Harlequins started the match well and out-half Evans was at the heart of their good play as he caught his own chip and passed to Tom Williams. However, the winger failed to take the ball and the opportunity
was lost.
Evans should have put the home side in front, but he skewed his penalty kick wide.
Barkley punished Harlequins as he knocked over a penalty from inside his own half to give Bath a 3-0 lead at half-time.
Out-half Evans made a break in the second half, but this time scrum-half Karl Dickinson failed to take the pass with the try line only a few yards away.
Sam Vesty nearly extended Bath’s lead, but the utility back was hauled down by Mike Brown after a fine run.
Barkley should have added an easy penalty, but the player did make amends moments later when he successfully converted another penalty to give Bath a 6-0 lead.
Yet, Evans quickly reduced the deficit with an immediate reply with the boot to make it 6-3 and minutes later he added his second penalty to draw the two sides’ level.
Neither side managed to score the winning points as both teams tried to close in on a victory in match that was not short of effort but quality.
Harlequins’ director of rugby, Conor O’Shea believes his side should have come out on top.
"I thought both teams tried to play a lot of rugby. The fact there were no tries does not make it a shocking spectacle. I thought on the balance of play we deserved to win," said O'Shea.
Bath fans will not be inspired by the performance, but they will be pleased that England captain Lewis Moody returned from his eye injury. The forward is now likely to feature against the All Blacks on
Saturday, 6 November.
Moody said, "I was a bit nervous going into the game that I would not pick the ball up as quickly, but it was fine. Even in the dwindling light conditions it did not affect me. I just wanted to get out
and play. I've had three or four weeks without a game and that's never good for a player, it's frustrating.”
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