Kyle Sinckler sets about winning his England place back on Monday with a spring in his step after a timely reminder of his talents, coming off the bench and almost immediately bulldozing over for the decisive try in Harlequins’ gritty win against Bath – a first in the Premiership in 2018.
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Sinckler has not played for England since last year’s Six Nations but the hamstring injury that ruled him out of the start of this year’s tournament is behind him and, having been named in England’s training squad to prepare for France over the weekend, he is back on Eddie Jones’s radar. “He’s an unbelievable guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and is hugely passionate,” the Harlequins director of rugby, John Kingston, said.
Sinckler’s impact was in direct contrast to that of the Bath replacement prop Max Lahiff, who was introduced a few minutes earlier but was in the sin-bin less than 60 seconds after coming on. Harlequins took advantage of their extra man, with Sinckler powering over from close range to give the home side a lead too big for Bath to claw back. It was the pivotal moment of a match that was poor on quality but was ultimately enough to stop another rot for Harlequins, who had lost their previous four league matches – another sign of their struggles during the international windows.
For Bath, ill-discipline was their downfall – they shipped 15 penalties – and they are down to seventh in the table, in danger of allowing their season to slip away. “The discipline killed us again,” Bath’s director of rugby, Todd Blackadder, said. “We’re starting to question if we can learn, whether the boys are actually listening. Something within us internally has to fundamentally change.”
It was far from a vintage Harlequins performance but it was warmly received by the supporters who made the trip after the weather had forced the match to be delayed by 48 hours. Following the announcement last week of their partnership with the All Blacks, things are beginning to look up against for Harlequins.
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Demetri Catrakilis – making his first start since breaking a bone in his throat in early September – eventually got Harlequins going after Bath had dominated the early exchanges. Matt Banahan had opened the scoring after Taulupe Faletau, who got through another 80 minutes to prove he is ready to return for Wales, picked up from the base of a scrum, fed Kahn Fotuali’i, who in turn put the Bath winger clear in the right corner.
James Wilson missed the subsequent conversion and it was his pass, near the Harlequins 22, that was picked off by Tim Visser, who streaked clear and under the posts for his ninth try of the season. Catrakilis was then on target with a penalty on the half hour mark to stretch his side’s lead.
Not long after the restart Lahiff entered, then promptly exited, before Sinckler showed him how it is done, notching his first Premiership try since the final day of the 2015-16 season. Catrakilis converted before Bath rallied and were twice denied by the TMO.
Marcus Smith added a late penalty before the 18-year-old was agonisingly short of running in a long-range try in the final minute, chased down by Mercer over all of 60 yards. Mercer has graduated from apprentice status with England while Smith is yet to – perhaps that was a demonstration of why.
Leicester up to fifth after Manu Tuilagi inspires bonus point-win against Worcester
Manu Tuilagi scored his second try in as many matches as Leicester moved up to fifth in the Premiership table with a bonus point win at Worcester. Tuilagi touched down with two minutes left on the clock as a late flurry of three tries in the last 11 minutes – Telusa Veainu scored the other – put the gloss on a 34-5 victory and sealed the bonus point.
It is a third straight win for the Tigers, who are now just three points off the top four, after Jonah Holmes had put them on their way with the opening try after 12 minutes.
Alafoti Fa’osiliva registered for Worcester but Greg Bateman scored Leicester’s second try and Matt Toomua was on target with a penalty before Tuilagi and Veainu cut loose late on. It means Worcester remain in 11th place, still 12 points above London Irish after the Exiles left Wasps empty-handed in another agonising defeat.
London Irish trailed 17-16 after Petrus du Plessis’s 75th-minute try but Tommy Bell missed the conversion that would have given Nick Kennedy’s side the lead. Wasps swiftly punished the visitors with Tom Cruse scoring his second try of the game to seal a 24-16 win.
Tries from Cruse and Dan Robson – as well as a penalty from the fit-again Danny Cipriani – had put Wasps in a commanding 14-0 lead, but Irish rallied with Dave Porecki going over and Bell adding two penalties, either side of one from Cipriani. Du Plessis’s try gave Irish hope but ultimately they were unable to build on last weekend’s win over Worcester. Gerard Meagher