Irish finally cast aside the hesitant finishing which has plagued their season and Mapletoft said: “We made some changes and it worked. We had let ourselves down during the season because we weren’t clinical enough.

“We lacked some sort of cutting edge and confidence and got ourselves in a position where the only way was up.

“When you are in a hole you have to change things. I always knew deep down we were a good enough team. We should have been much higher in the table.”

His decision to work on a new goalkicking technique during the summer -“tinkering with my swing a little” – paid off with an impeccable display which produced 16 points to take him past 1,000 in top-flight rugby.

Although National League One champions Rotherham have still to see their promotion officially ratified, that looks likely to go through this week.

Relegation would appear to rule out a proposed Bristol move to Oxford’s Kassam Stadium leaving the most likely outcome a merger with west country rivals Bath.

Bristol coach Peter Thorburn, who – like his Bath counterpart Michael Foley - has not been party to the talks, would rather see Bristol take their chance in division one.

“No-one has said anything to me,” said Thorburn, “I would have liked to have seen it survive. I know there have been all sorts of propositions put forward but I’m no wiser about what’s going to happen than you people.

“Malcolm Pearce owns the club so he can do what he wants with it.”

Thorburn knows a number of his senior players already have agreed to move on but fears for the future of some of the club’s up-and-coming youngsters who could be “left on the shelf”.

“It depends who has then power and control of Wessex whatever it’s called,” said the 62-year-old New Zealander.

“It isn’t about me. I will take my responsibility for what I have done.

“It’s about what happens to the players and rugby in Bristol and there are some of us who feel pretty sad that we have been responsible for its removal from premier rugby.

“The players certainly aren’t jigging and dancing. Take a guy like Craig Short, who scored both our tries, covered in blood, who has played for Bristol and lived in Bristol all his life, those are the people whose passions you have to see. They are down, obviously they are down.”

That sadness was etched on the faces of the players who went out to face fans carrying banners pleading ‘115 years of rugby history cannot die’.

The Bristol public and businesses failed to guarantee the financial future of the club after Pearce’s appeal earlier in the season but Thorburn believes a flagship club could continue in the city.

“I believe somebody will pick up what’s left and start where they have to and bring Bristol back into rugby because there’s too many people who are passionate about it.

“It’s obviously not going to be Premiership rugby, but at whatever level they could pick the club name back up again and give then people who love their rugby in Bristol something to follow.

“But those matters are in the hands of other people.”

Bristol’s likely top-flight demise means Premiership salvation for London Irish, who would have finished bottom with defeat.

Mark Mapletoft was drafted back into the Exiles starting line-up to run the show from fly-half, and he responded by inspiring the narrow victory at Leicester last week and yesterday’s win over Bristol.