Since 1874, Harvard and McGill have been battling each other in the longest-running rivalry in North American rugby.

On Saturday in Montreal, Harvard took Round 120, recapturing the Covos Cup in a surprising 17-10 win.

"McGill is a powerhouse," Harvard Coach Al Baker said. "This is the first time we've beaten them at McGill. To be honest, I really didn't expect to win."

It was a cold, wet and miserable afternoon, said senior center Anthony Preware, but Harvard combined speed and skill to turn the tide and bring the game around.

"The team that plays as a team usually comes out on top on muddy days," co-captain Andrew Howard said.

"On wet, cold days, our forwards become most important," senior Jared Marx said. "You can dominate the game when your forwards are working well."

Howard, in the scrum half position, exploded in the first minutes of the match to score and put Harvard ahead. By the end of the game, Howard had scored two tries. Senior prop Matteo Peccei scored the second try of the game, Marx said.

"The key of the game was our general play, an aggressive defense, possession of the ball and spending a lot of time in their end," Howard said.

A key play of the game occurred when Marx sprinted down the field, gave a no-look pass to Preware, who immediately passed the ball to Peccei for a score.

"It was a defensive battle. It was cold and wet, so it was hard to keep a hold of the ball," Preware said.

McGill's best chance to tie the game occurred during an line-out play. A McGill players lobbed the ball way over senior Dan Reid's head, but he made a tremendous jump and managed to get his hands on a ball and kick it out, Marx said.

"If the ball had evaded Dan Reid's grasp, they almost definitely would have scored," he added.

Next week, the team will travel to Kutztown, Pennsylvania to begin the North East Region 2 Championships where it will face Maryland, Temple and Connecticut for a position at the USA Rugby East Region Championships. Harvard is the defending East champion.

"We used this game to prepare for tougher competition," Baker said.

Baker said he was very pleased with the hospitality showed by McGill, which is part of the long tradition of rugby and this match is particular.

"Despite the conditions, a good time was had by all," Preware said. "McGill is a very friendly team."