The glory days are here for Oxfordshire, who will play at Twickenham next Saturday after the most nail-biting of victories over Hampshire in the Tetley County Shield semi-final at Basingstoke on Saturday.

In the end, it came down to one kick, as Hampshire, who trailed 17-3 just before half-time, had a chance to win it in injury time.

However Tim Osman, ironically a Henley player, hooked his conversion attempt wide and, two minutes later, Oxon had completed a historic feat.

It's the first time that the county's full team have played at rugby union's headquarters. So what began as a dream, for most of their players, has now become a reality.

No praise can be too high for the Oxon pack, who dominated the scrums so effectively that the home side completely changed their front row at half-time.

It made no difference. Simon Matthews, the 35-year-old veteran loose head prop, was a rock, and the rest of the pack followed his lead.

Considering the conditions - heavy rain blown straight down the pitch by a strong wind - both sides tried to play open rugby. It reminded me of many days I have spent at Chinnor - so the nine players from that club were in familiar territory.

Oxfordshire started with the wind at their backs, but took time to turn their territorial advantage into points.

Skipper Paul Hennessy, whose sheer strength powered his side forward in the loose, was held up over the Hants try line, while full back Johnny Goodridge's chip and chase would have brought a try, had the ball not gone inches over the deadball line.

Shortly after Andy Noyce had put Oxon ahead with a penalty on the half hour, Goodridge had to leave the field with the recurrence of a shoulder injury. Dave Boreham switched from wing to full back, with Alan Cawston coming in on to the wing.

Almost immediately, a half-break by fly-half Darren Oxley put Martin Nutt into space and the right winger shrugged off a tackler to touch down under the posts. Noyce converted to make it 10-0.

Tim Osman replied with a penalty for Hampshire, but the visitors seemed to have built up an unassailable lead with a penalty try just before half-time.

Oxon, going for a pushover try, were denied by a stray Hampshire hand and Noyce added the conversion to make it 17-3.

This would have been a valuable cushion to take into the second half, but Hants had other ideas.

A move instigated by full back Nick Osman, one of four brothers in the side, ended with right wing Neil McGovern outpacing Hennessy to the corner. Tim Osman's conversion made it 17-10 at the interval.

Now playing with the elements, Tim Osman trimmed Oxon's lead to a single point with two penalties - and the game was back in the melting pot.

However, Oxon responded with a try that deserved to win any semi-final. Boreham, gathering a clearance close to his own 22, made a superb 40-metre break, before centre Johnny David's well-timed pass put Nutt over in the right corner.

Hampshire refused to give up and threw everything into attack and Hennessy was sin-binned as he illegally halted an attack close to the line.

Without his powerful presence, Oxon could not halt Hampshire's resultant driving maul, and replacement hooker Matt Evans got the touchdown 15 yards in from touch.

It was not a difficult conversion apart from the knowledge of what was at stake - and Osman hooked his effort wide - to Oxon's relief.

So, little Oxfordshire, with barely more than a dozen clubs, had not only guaranteed their place back in the County Championship proper next season but can now look forward to the realisation of every English rugby player's ambition - a trip to Twickenham where they will play Northumberland at 12.15pm this Saturday.

Hampshire: N Osman (Newbury), N McGovern (Havant), R Osman (Henley), T Osman (Henley), D Eldridge (Petersfield), P Osman (Henley) capt, L Davenport (Havant), M Coffin (Southampton), A Tart (Havant), S Hellier (Alton), R Forster (Portsmouth), N Allica (Havant), N Whittle (Havant), S Appleby (Basingstoke) D Archer (Havant).

Reps: O Matini (Havant) for Coffin (40), M Evans (Basingstoke) for Tart (40), S Buttle (Basingstoke) for Hellier (40), N Cooper (Havant) for Appleby (78).

Oxfordshire: J Goodridge (Gloucester), M Nutt (Oxford Harlequins), J David (Chinnor), A Noyce (Banbury), D Boreham (Oxford Harlequins), D Oxley (Chinnor), G Phillips (Chinnor), S Matthews (Chinnor), T Nicholas (Henley), R Harris (Chinnor), A Milburn (Chinnor), M Hutchings (Oxford Brookes & Chinnor), J Cope (Oxford Harlequins), D Seymour (Chinnor), P Hennessy (Chinnor) capt.

Reps: T Whelan (Chinnor) for Nicholas (1-3, and 40), A Cawston (Chinnor) for Goodridge (32), A Cope (Oxford Harlequins) for Phillips (40), J Wilcox-Jones (L Welsh) for J Cope (58), J Winpenny (Chinnor) for Boreham (79).

Referee: D Grashoff (RFU).