Cambridge University’s Varsity hero Rory Triniman described scoring the winning try at Twickenham as his “best game of rugby” – 18 years after he first picked up a ball at Old Albanian.

The centre twisted and turned his way over the line with just five minutes to go and, after an agonising wait for the television match official, was given the score which helped Cambridge to a 23-18 win.

And Triniman, who lived in London Road, St Albans, and attended Cunnigham Hill Junior School before moving to Dorset, aged eight, said the “utterly incredible” day will live long in his memory.

“It’s my first year at Cambridge, my first time playing at Twickenham and my first year as a blue,” he said. “The noise when you’re out there is unbelievable. It was just the best game of rugby I’ve ever played in.

“You draw a lot of experience from the older guys like [Will Briggs] and we asked them what this year’s build-up was like in comparison and they said this was our year.

“I don’t think anyone in the camp doubted that and it was fortunate for me that I got the try.

“When I got it down I knew. I was a bit worried when they showed the slow-mo replay in case it had gone forward but no, I was pretty confident that I’d got it down.”

Triniman’s first taste of the game, when he was five-year-old at OAs with his brother, could have been his last as despite scoring a try he decided he didn’t like it.

However, rugby has become part of his life, and a pre-match familiarisation visit to Twickenham brought a little surprise.

“I had no idea but my picture is actually on the wall in the tunnel,” he said. “We came down to one of the internationals last year and I posted a picture of me, my dad and my brother with the hashtag ‘Carry Them Home’.

“By coincidence I spotted it as I walked out of the tunnel. That for me is just the best thing. You couldn’t have a more motivating or inspiring thing.

“It is the best moment I’ve had in sport.”