By the time they rampaged past Redruth on April 25 and in doing so secured promotion into the Championship, Bees had taken all of the last 60 points on offer, the imperious Simon Hunt had broken the division’s try scoring record and Mark Woodrow had slotted more conversions than any other player in level three history. Earnshaw had built worthy champions.

But one should not forget the bout of pre-season hubris when they set their sights on an unbeaten campaign and in doing so failed to pay sufficient credit to their National Two opponents.

Those claims also underestimated the task of melding together a squad that had been assembled in the space of a few months and – as these things do – needed firing in the kiln of competitive rugby.

The group that began Operation Phoenix at Redruth’s Rec contained ten players left over from the relegation season, the one that took the title against the same opponents nearly eight months later started with just five. The transition was complete.

Broadly speaking they spent the first half of the season finding ways to miss out and the second making sure they didn’t.

Earnshaw’s men were quickly disabused of their superiority complex by Redruth and the point – if not learned on the opening day of the season – was underlined at Wharfedale when they made changes to their team and paid the price.

National Two is full of far-flung outposts where reputation and ‘full-time’ status carries little sway. Hell Fire Corner was probably the worst place to tentatively feel one’s way back into form and Threshfield is the very last venue to play a back row in the centre.

But lessons have to be learned interactively rather than passed on through word of mouth and as the team developed so did a style of play that produced some, several in fact, scintillating tries.Cameron Mitchell’s installation at inside centre and the emergence of Chris Brightwell and Shaun Pammenter in the pack brought a rugged edge and in the case of the first two, at no loss of pace.

Patterns evolved and with Hunt on the wing to finish off the work of those infield, Earnshaw found himself presiding over a machine that was becoming increasingly well oiled.

Westcombe Park, Cinderford and Waterloo all suffered the mid-winter indignity of leaking 50-plus points until Earnshaw toddled off on his Sevens travels and Tynedale rolled into Solihull.

With their conscience overseas the ambition was narrowed and the hosts played the Northumbrians at their own game – and lost. Meanwhile Redruth continued to roll incessantly on at the top.

Much introspection and a few couch sessions sports psychologist Ian Maynard helped put them in a happy place and if results mean anything it was all systems go from Christmas onwards.

Bees even started making progress in the cup and – if there is one regret from the season – it is that they didn’t hang on for 10 seconds longer in their quarter-final with Leeds.

Their performance against Neil Back’s men became the blueprint for others to follow.

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