Swiel helps Harlequins edge out Bath with 21-20 win

Harlequins 21 - 20 Bath Rugby, Twickenham Stoop
Scorecard

Replacement Tim Swiel held his nerve to kick a penalty at the closing stage as Harlequins edged out Bath in a hard-fought 21-20 victory at Twickenham Stoop on Sunday.

Wing Tim Visser got the Quins off the mark with a second minute try but fly-half Nick Evans missed the conversion. Evans, who was on his 200th appearance left the field with an injury in the 14th minute and Swiel took over the kicking charges.

Bath fullback Tom Homer's penalty in the 19th minute got the visitors going but Swiel added two more three-pointers to stretch the gap to eight points. However, prop Kane Palma-Newport scored an important try just at the stroke of half-time while Homer's conversion meant Bath were trailing by just one-point at the end of the first half.

The second half started with Homer kicking his second penalty in the game taking Bath to a two-point lead for the first time.

Scrum half Karl Dickson rumbled past the line in the 60th minute and Swiel added the extras to provide the Quins breathing space as they took a five point lead but the momentum once again shifted to Bath when Nathan Catt went past the line in the 66th minute.

With 10 minutes to go, Bath was leading by two points. Swiel kept calm and kicked the decisive penalty in the 74th minute to ensure Harlequins won the game by one-point.

Bath has slipped to third position after the defeat while Harlequins are placed at sixth.