Ashley Down 27 pts Ross-on-Wye 43.

ROSS followed up their midweek North Midlands Cup success with a win in Bristol to close in further on a top-two High Bridge Jewellers Gloucester 1 finish.

Promotion is now looking increasingly certain and with one game to play, which could be academic, Ross are four points clear of third-placed Cheltenham Civil Service and hold a 58 points-difference advantage into the bargain.

Ross eschewed safety-first rugby from the outset and dominated both in the tight and the loose against an Ashley Down side who were keen to embroil them in an old-fashioned English mauling encounter.

But the south Herefordshire side moved the ball quickly and efficiently and reached half time with a comfortable 24-3 advantage.

After the break, Ross managed to find an even higher gear playing with yet more pace and intensity and increased the score to 43-3 within 15 minutes.

Taking their foot off the pedal in the last quarter of the match, with the points virtually assured, Ross conceded 24 points to give the scoreline a semblance of respectability for their well-beaten hosts.