Harlequins player ratings: Marcus Smith a victim of their ‘horrible season’ while Quins’ injury woes mount
Marcus Smith and Chandler Cunningham-South in action for Harlequins.
Following a heavy 48-15 defeat to Bath in the PREM Rugby clash at the Rec on Saturday, here are the player ratings for Harlequins.
15 Marcus Smith: Moved to full-back as he combined with Jarrod Evans in phase play but kicked a lot of ball away in the first half. When he did choose to run, Smith weaved his way past defenders and made ground. They changed it slightly after the break with the England international taking on more responsibility at fly-half and he did what he could. But it’s been a horrible season for Quins and that has impacted their star player. 6
14 Nick David: Had a couple of nice moments early on before succumbing to injury and not returning. 6
13 Sean Kerr: A late replacement for Luke Northmore, who failed a late fitness test, and Bath certainly targeted that midfield channel. Usually an inside centre, Kerr ultimately struggled to influence the game on both sides of the ball playing out of position. 4
12 Bryn Bradley: Has impressed since coming into the team and it was another decent showing from the powerhouse centre. Finished his try really well and never stopped trucking it up. He will just rue the needless penalty which led to Bath’s fifth try and made their job much harder. 6
11 Cadan Murley: Like David, he looked a threat early on and made one searing break down the left, but Murley’s day was ended in the first half by a HIA which he did not pass. 6
Torrid day
10 Jarrod Evans: The fly-half’s day started terribly with an intercept pass and ended just as badly after going off with a concerning injury. Between that it wasn’t much better and Quins looked slicker when Smith stepped into first receiver. 4
9 Lucas Friday: The hugely gifted youngster started off very nicely but the injuries to David and Murley forced him to move to wing and he looked a bit lost out wide. A useful learning curve for Friday, who will hope to be back at scrum-half in the next game. 4
8 Alex Dombrandt (c): Despite Quins’ torrid run, the number eight has hit some good form over the past few weeks, potentially enough to put him back in Steve Borthwick’s thoughts. Some great lines and good carries in a tireless performance. 7
7 Jack Kenningham: Another player to absolutely give his all and he was abrasive at close quarters, but the Bath back-row were dominant all evening and controlled that contact area. 6
6 Guido Petti: An assist for Treadwell’s try was his defining moment in the match, while there were some decent moments around the field, but the lineout was mixed. It certainly wasn’t as effective as his outstanding display against Bristol Bears. 6
5 Kieran Treadwell: A ridiculous finish for his try aside, Treadwell found it tough against the power of the Bath pack. 5
Highlights player
4 Chandler Cunningham-South: Remains a highlights player rather than a consistent operator in the back five of the scrum. Cunningham-South’s brutal hand-off on Henry Arundell will make YouTube compilations but this overall performance will not. While he is a useful lineout option when he’s in the back-row, Bath nabbed a couple off him at the Rec with him at lock. 5
3 Joe Jones: Solid performance from the tighthead who did his job in the scrum and laid a good platform in the set-piece. 6
2 George Turner: Lineout had its issues and Turner couldn’t quite influence matters in the loose as much as he usually does. 5
1 Will Hobson: Similar to Jones, Hobson has stepped in well considering all the injuries they’ve had up front. He was good in the scrum and ultimately did his job. 6
Replacements: The 6/2 split simply didn’t work due to the early injuries, while those two replacements, Stu Townsend and Cameron Anderson, had difficult days at scrum-half and wing, respectively. The young front-rowers also struggled with Zach Carr’s impact the only real positive for Harlequins as they succumbed to yet another PREM defeat. 3