There were echoes of the golden days of Bath here. Down came the city slickers of Harlequins and they were barely allowed a sight of the ball for 40 minutes. In the little rugby cauldron in the centre of this genteel Georgian city, Bath crushed their opponents in the first half. It was enough to win the game - just - for there was a valiant Quins' rally in the second.

At the start the Bath forwards were utterly dominant, producing an almost embarrassing supply of ball for those behind. Matt Stevens in his first Premiership outing of the season tormented the Quins' front row; following the Wilkinson precedent it cannot be long before he is back in the international pool. The second-row giants, Steve Borthwick and Danny Grewcock were voracious and relatively well-behaved.

So the Quins were pummelled for most of the game and the Bath faithful could wander out of the Rec to celebrate in the World Heritage site that constitutes their city centre. Which is wonderful and a bit of a problem.

To return to those days when Bath was supreme in English rugby a bigger stadium of 15,000 capacity is required. Everyone associated with the club from chairman Andrew Brownsword downwards wants that stadium to be at the Rec, but development within a World Heritage site is a slow, complex business. Brownsword in his notes said: 'There are a few positive signs that a crane or two will feature on the Bath skyline in the near future.' It would be a great shame if Bath had to play their rugby outside of the city.

They played plenty of rugby yesterday. But for Chris Malone's faulty kick-off the Quins would barely have made an incursion into Bath territory in the first half. Soon a rolling maul from a line-out, perfectly executed, produced the home side's first try. For their second, backs and forwards linked neatly to allow Joe Maddock to slice through the defence with a sprightly diagonal run.

When, just before half time, Chris Malone picked up the pieces after Olly Barkley had burst through in midfield, the home side led by a formidable 24-6.

But in the second half Harlequins retaliated. Adrian Jarvis' right boot was flawless and soon Mike Brown sped over by the left corner flag.

Then, after a prolonged Bath assault that left the locals hoarse, Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu found the gap that was inevitable after so much pressure. Back came Quins with a Nick Easter try.

Just before the final whistle Easter thought Will Skinner had scored another one, expressed this view rather too vigorously to the referee and was shown the red card.

Bath Abendanon; Maddock, Fuimaono-Sapolu, Barkley, Stephenson; Malone (Berne 47), Walshe; Barnes, Mears, Stevens, Borthwick (capt), Grewcock, Beattie (Short 79), Scaysbrook (Lipman 52), Feau'nati (Delve 63)

Tries Borthwick, Maddock, Malone, Fulmaono-Sapolu Con Barkley 4 Pens Barkley

Harlequins Brown; Strettle, Luscombe, Abbott, Keogh; Jarvis, Gomarsall (So'oialo 65); Croall, Fuga, Ross (Nebbett 70), Kohn (Evans 70), Spanghero, Vos, Volley (capt, Skinner 70), Easter

Tries Brown, Easter Cons Jarvis 2

Pens Jarvis 3

Referee: R Debney