There may have been the small issue of a global pandemic in the intervening period but Harps hadn’t tasted defeat at home in the league since 11th January 2020 when they lost out in the last minute to Sudbury and it was another side from the Eastern Counties who ended that long run.

The home side got the better of the early exchanges with a try from Adam Wilkinson after following a five metre scrum. Despite this early score, Harpenden were soon chasing the Cambridgeshire side who were clinical when opportunities came their way. Firstly a penalty and then a try from a short range scrum gave the visitors a slender 7-10 lead.

As anticipated there was little to separate the two sides in the close quarters with momentum shifting at various points throughout the first half. However the visitors were able to extend their lead with two more tries before the 40 minute mark, which gave them a commanding 22-7 lead at the break.

Harpenden were much improved at the start of the second half managing to retain possession enough to force Shelford to give away a couple of penalties with Tom Sweeney managing to convert one of his attempts.

The collective nerves of the sizeable crowd became even more palpable as Pete Sims crashed over from a couple of metres out and with the conversion successful there was only five points separating the sides with just over ten minutes to play.

Both sides probed and pressed in the final minutes, similar to the return fixture in September the Shelford defence was brilliantly organised and offered very little to Harpenden in the way of ill discipline and yard conceded. Despite some thunderous carrying from Speirs and Preston.

Some smart kicks from both sides were the main attacking threat and with one 50/22 kick, Harps were given a chance to attack from a lineout. The chance however, slipped away. Shelford then made their way back up the field into the home 22 and after a series of unsuccessful pick and gos for the line their scrum fired across a sharp pass in front of three players to find the winger to score in the last play of the game. With the conversion successful, the visitors took home all the spoils with a 29-17 victory.

Harpenden: Campion, Bloisi, Mackenzie-Cardy, Preston, Wheatley, Charlier, Speirs, Goode, Gulliford, Mann, Atkinson, Wilkinson, McLean, Tait, Sweeney. Reps: Rolfe, Sims, Pennell

Elsewhere, the 2nd XV lost out to OAs 43-6 in a game that was much closer than scoreline might suggest and the 3rd XV record a tremendous 46-0 win away at Hendon.