The visitors got off to the worst possible start when a neat passing exchange allowed Sam Hocking to cross the whitewash with just three minutes on the clock – a score which was converted by Tony Yapp - before Nuns began to find their feet.

The remainder of the half petered out into a physical battle from which Nuneaton enjoyed the better of the play, but were unable to force their way on to the score-sheet, as the hosts went in 7-0 up at the break.

But yet again Nuns conceded an early try as the Cornish All Blacks wasted little time in extending their advantage, as Ed Lewsey notched an unconverted try in the 45th minute.

Yapp then pushed the hosts further ahead when he kicked well after Nuneaton had given away two successive penalties, before Huw Thomas finally got the first Nuns’ points with a penalty of his own.

The worsening weather made free-flowing rugby nigh-on impossible, but it was Launceston who powered on. Yapp converted another penalty in the 66th minute to cancel out Thomas’ earlier effort before the hosts made the game safe late on, when replacement Steve Perry kicked towards the wing for Mal Roberts to collect and burrow his way over for an unconverted try.

Nuneaton then appeared to become increasingly frustrated and, after a spell of scuffling, James Taylor was sin-binned for Umaga’s charges, before continuing the argument on the touchline.

Launceston rubbed salt into the wound in the final minute, when Jamie Salter crashed over to secure the bonus point for the Cornish All Blacks and leave Nuneaton firmly entrenched within a scrap for National One survival.

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