Shelford’s post Christmas friendly proved to be a rude awakening.

Back in September, National Challenge SE1 team Thurrock visited Shelford for a pre-season friendly that served to illustrate the improvements that Shelford had made in the run up to the 2007/08 season. Now, half way through the season, Shelford have made a strong start and sit in the top three whilst Thurrock are unbeaten in their league.

Last Sunday, 15 Shelford players arrived at Thurrock’s pitch for the return game hoping to blow away the Christmas cobwebs and gear up for the next half of the season. However, they got more than they bargained for. From the off, lower league Thurrock were the better team, playing with an aggression that Shelford were unable to match. It seemed that everything Shelford had learnt and put into practise in the past four months had been forgotten over the festive period.

Shelford had the first kick and chased up, but the line didn’t form and, in what was to become a recurring pattern over the game, Shelford went into contact too high to be effective. The well drilled Thurrock team exploited this, rolling around the sides of the rucks and mauls, and it wasn’t long before they had gone over the line to score the first points of the match.

Flashes of Shelford’s autumn form were few and far between, and an unfortunate accident in the lineout saw second-row Amanda Clarkson being carried of the pitch with a suspected broken ankle. Down to 14, Shelford’s heads really started to drop and, while in the run up to the half time whistle they spent a lot of time inside the opposition’s 22, they failed to capitalise on any of the opportunities they forged.

After a stern talking to from the coach at half time it appeared, for the first minute at least, that Shelford were going to come back at Thurrock, only for the mistakes of the first half to be repeated, allowing Thurrock to drive through the Shelford line. At the end of the game the score was 40-0, a very different outcome from that in September and one that will hopefully act as a wake-up call for Shelford. The pain the team felt over their poor performance in Essex will be as nothing compared to how they’ll feel should they not improve before their next league game against Lutterworth.

Forward of the match: Daniele Gibney