When these sides met early in the season, Nigerian dominated proceedings for much of the first half without managing to trouble the scoreboard. A series of shocking defensive lapses in the 20 minutes that straddled the half time break saw Harpenden rack up 20 points against just 5 for the visitors. Thanks to their disciplined defence and lightning quick breaks, Harpenden ran out deserved winners on the day but Nigerian dejection swiftly turned to fury after reading the match report penned by a Harpenden scribe – quite possibly the most disrespectful article I have viewed in all my years in the game.

Many months had passed since then – months in which Harpenden established themselves as the league’s premier team while the storied Nigerian lurched from underachievement to sub-par performance – yet the wound still festered in Nigerian hearts. Barely a fortnight went by without the words “I can’t wait for the Harpenden game” escaping from London Nigerian lips. The offensive piece was posted directly underneath the team sheet on the Friday just in case any of the boys had forgotten.  This one was personal!

That was the setting for this fixture between the league’s best side with a lethal attack and the basement club with the leaky defence. Two weeks previous Harpenden had scored 89 points in their defeat of Finchley. A week later, Nigerian scored just the 21 in beating the same opposition.  This game should have been all about Harpenden but the London Nigerian boys had failed to read the script.

Welcoming the giant Chima Ijeoma back into their ranks for the first time this season, the Nigerian forwards tore into the opposition from the first whistle. Normally, a slick attacking machine, Harpenden were rattled and their engine stuttered as their hosts refused to let them settle into their patterns.  Nigerian soon established a lead through the boot of Josh Bruce before enterprising running by Ugo Ekeowa led directly to an excellent score for his captain, Aliyu Shelleng.  In spite of Nigerian’s aggressive and committed defence, Harpenden struck back with a try of their own, reminding all present of the potency of their attacking play.  Mid-way through the half and Nigerian led 16 – 8, eleven of their points coming via the boot of Bruce, the squad’s baby who has grown in stature over the last few weeks.

As halftime beckoned, Nigerian reminded the watching fans of their own much-lauded attacking credentials as good interplay between backs and forwards broke up the Harpenden defence just enough to allow the ephemeral feet of Ekeowa to carve a slaloming path through from 40 metres out to touch down under the post.  Bruce’s conversion gave them a 23 – 8 lead at the interval and victory looked all but assured.

Harpenden caught their hosts napping straight after the restart, moving the ball very quickly away from the contact areas for a score in the corner.  At 23 – 13, Nigerian still looked good for the victory though they had given the league-leaders a chink of light to aspire to.  More fine Harpenden play soon put them in front of the posts where they kicked a penalty to narrow the deficit to just seven at 23 – 16.  At this point Ali Shelleng and Rob Hartley, the pack leader, rallied their troops and Nigerian picked up the game again with big tackles from Ijeoma and Osondu Anodu forcing a turnover from the restart.  Nigerian pressure led to a Harpenden infringement in front of the posts and Ekeowa – with Bruce in the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle – stepped up to stroke the kick through the uprights to restore a ten-point advantage: 26 – 16.

As the game entered the final quarter, Harpenden threw everything they could at their hosts who responded accordingly.  They did win another penalty which was converted to narrow the gap down to seven yet again.  The hosts finally put the game to bed in a move sparked off by Winston Bell-Gam.  Taking a pass off the floor from Hartley, the full-back picked an excellent line at considerable enough pace to allow him shrug off the attentions of the first two defenders.  Carrying the ball deep into Harpenden’s half, he connected with his supporting pack of forwards who recycled the ball, moved it left where Ali Shelleng showed enough strength to work his way over for a score on the left, his second of the game.  Bruce missed the conversion but at 31 – 21 with not long to go, the gig was almost certainly up for Harpenden.  To their credit, they were able to score one more excellent try out on the right but it was too little too late.  Nigerian had beaten the league’s top side making one wonder why they are floundering so low down the table. Still this was only the second time they’d managed 2 in a row all season, so it is clear that consistency is a term this side is yet to acquaint itself with.

The cuts inflicted by the infamous match report had been cauterised (especially as, to avoid a colour clash, Harpenden arrived with a set of red shirts for their hosts to play in – they were beaten in their own shirts) and now Nigerian prepared to demonstrate the art of magnanimous victory to their promotion-chasing visitors.  It was, therefore, much to their dismay that Harpenden chose to ignore a long-held tradition of the game of rugby – sharing a post-match meal and beer with their opposition.  Win or lose, it has always been one of the selling points of the Gentleman’s Game that after pounding seven bells out of each other for 80 minutes, rival teams can get together and laugh about the game afterwards.  By choosing to head straight back up the road to Hertfordshire without even the pretence of an apology, Harpenden demonstrated a lack of respect for their opponents worse than the appalling match report had.  It would take a shocking loss in form for promotion to escape them now but if they take this attitude up to London 2 North with them, they will make very few friends indeed.

Nigerian now have a Rest Week to shake off the various injuries and niggles before travelling to Twickenham on 28 March.  Twickenham are the league’s form team with 3 wins in a row and they occupy the place in the league directly above Nigerian who are desperate to avoid relegation.  So that represents an even bigger fixture for them than the one just gone.  It is too early to celebrate.

Man of the Match: The Nigerian forwards won this match, thoroughly dominating Harpenden in the scrums and in the contact areas.  Rob Hartley for his leadership, his ball carrying and his fine work in the line-out was Roger Coomb’s pick of an outstanding bunch.  Neal Fetterman was outstanding (yet again), the front row had another monumental game and Ijeoma’s cameo was not far off Hall of Fame stuff.