Nuneaton 74 Kendal 0
A 12-try romp over bottom club Kendal and the defeat by Tynedale of second-placed Blaydon, who have now completed their fixtures, means that a single point from two remaining games will guarantee Nuns a promotion play-off against National Three South runners-up North Walsham.
With similar bonus-point whitewashes away to league leaders Bradford & Bingley next Saturday and Cleckheaton the following week, they still a remote chance of automatic promotion as champions but the leaders have a substantial lead in points differential.
Perversely, Kendal's only win of the season had been in their last game, a ten-try whitewash of relegated New Brighton and they set off as if seeking a repeat.
For the first nine minutes, the Cumbrians threw the ball around with abandon until, in Nuneaton's first attack, full-back Tim Stimpson and winger Lee Parry combined up the left before flanker Tristan Prosser-Shaw made a rampaging run to score.
Thereafter, Kendal were strapped for possession, turned over when they had it and reduced to chasing shadows. All 12 tries came from open running and handling, much of it involving many pairs of hands.
Altogether, Prosser-Shaw got four tries, each time cutting a reverse line through drifting defence, while centre Simon Brock-lehurst's classy sidestepping and dummying earned two tries for himself and several for others.
Fly-half Gareth Cull converted the first four tries, but oddly, in perfect conditions, only three of the next eight.
The tries were equally divided between the halves with the interval score 38-0. Scrum-half Huw Thomas, after prop Carl Rimmer's surge, centre Jody Peacock, with his 17st frame unstoppable from ten yards out and No 8 Glenn Southwell, from multiple handling, were the other first-half scorers.
Winger Phil Reed, collecting the bounce of Stimpson's high chip, and Parry, cutting in from the left to the posts, then replacement lock Ben Toleafoa on the end of a fine movement, also made the scoresheet.
