He was on the high veld only last Saturday, losing the Currie Cup final in Johannesburg with his Lions team-mates, and 5,500 miles and one week later it was to the weeping skies of London, where he stepped out for the first time with his new Quins team-mates. Who knows which experience André Vos enjoyed more - the inclement conditions were mitigated by this valuable win - but Vos, like the true man he is said to be, never shirked.
His ramrod posture was a rallying point all afternoon for a Harlequins outfit as patchwork as their shirts, he led the tackle count - with one very satisfying hit on Kevin Maggs - and he glowered peacefully, but unnervingly, at referee Ashley Rowden, who was tedious indeed.
For Bath, things are showing no new signs of improving. Their efforts, particularly up front, were as worthy as they have been all season, but they continue to lose narrowly, which is of no consolation. Their efforts are worthy behind the pack, too, but this, perversely, might be their undoing - they badly need the rapier of someone to complement the bludgeon of the likes of Maggs and Mike Tindall.
Harlequins could boast that rapier quality. They had suffered for much of the first half in the face of the Bath thunder and eventually went a penalty behind while Bill Davison was in the sin bin. When he returned, Simon Emms of Bath was next dismissed, and while he was away Quins took advantage with two smart tries in the last few minutes of the first half.
With Will Greenwood filling in at fly-half, there was an improvisational look to the home team's approach, and the England centre used all of his lengthy frame to reach out of a tackle for the game's first try, after a line-out and drive. Minutes later, Nick Duncombe ran at the heart of the defence from a scrum. A couple of neat side-steps did for Chris Malone and Maggs, and Greenwood's miss pass meant that Vili Satala only had to give a pass of any kind to Matt Moore for the winger to stroll in unopposed.
The second half was a messy, wet affair. Quins looked the likelier to score, but the kicking of Olly Barkley and the missing of Nathan Williams kept the game in the balance, until Williams succeeded minutes before the end to seal Vos's welcome.
Harlequins: Williams; Moore, Satala, Greenstock, Gollings; Greenwood, Duncombe; Leonard (capt), Fuga, Gomez (Starr 55), Davison, Codling, Tiatia, Vos, Diprose.
Bath: Perry; Danielli (Voyce 48), Maggs, Tindall (Crockett 72), Barkley; Malone, Cooper; Emms, Humphreys (Long 70), Golasso, Borthwick, Grewcock (capt), Scaysbrook, Lyle, N Thomas (Beattie 63).
Referee: A Rowden (Berkshire).
