IT WASN'T so much champagne rugby as smooth-as-silk South African chardonnay that ultra-confident Kendal uncorked on Saturday to confirm their status in National League Division 2, writes Richard Daniels.

Final score was Kendal 48 - Preston G'hoppers 8.

The Bloemfontein bullet Ian Voortman was the pick of the Kendal team, flying in for two thrilling tries and proving his worth in defence at critical moments.

An early breakthrough for Hoppers looked likely when stand-off Paul Bailey stormed but Voortman got back to tackle, even if the pressure was rewarded with a fourth-minute penalty by Glynn.

Warming to their task, Kendal shoved back the bigger pack at the set scrum and then began to mix forward and back play in equal measure for a steady points flow which confirmed they had got the balance exactly right.

Tenacity was the key word and good turnover ball paved the way for a series of punishing forward drives culminating in flanker Colin Wolstenholme forcing his way over for the an opening unconverted try.

Four minutes later, Kendal ripped open Preston as scrum-half Mark Airey's dart released Duncan Rose and the ball was quickly recycled wide with Voortman bursting clear from 30 metres out and dive in at the corner for another five points.

Struggling sides often have stubborn defence and Preston avoided further trouble until conceding a penalty which allowed Scott to open a two-score gap with a 20-3 half-time lead.

Skipper Ian Thompson, at hooker because Ian Gowing was a late cry-off, clearly thought he could do the centre job as he stepped inside a half-tackle and embarked on a cheeky 20-metre run but was caught just short.

When play broke down, Preston won the scrum put-in but Mark Bowman capitalised on an untidy heel to pick up and claim the touchdown, with Scott adding the conversion.

Hoppers bore the hallmarks of a side down on their luck: spilled passes, lack of penetration and thwarted pressure and when wingman Lough finally escaped to find hooker Porteous in support, he strayed into touch a metre out.

Searing acceleration, this time from the other South African Chris Malherbe after clever distribution by Duncan Rose looked set to bring a try, but the final pass was intercepted.

Typically Kendal snuffed out the counter-attack and picked up the loose ball before good inter-passing put lock Keith Robinson away for an easy run-in, Scott adding the extras again to extend the gap to 34-3.

Kendal reshuffled because of injuries to Mike Capstick and Mark Airey, allowing the visitors to go on the attack.

And Preston's sense of injustice at a piece of foul play which went unpunished was forgotten when No.

9 Du Pre scooted down the blindside from the scrum for their sole try of the day.

Kendal exuded maximum confidence again.

Voortman was clamped tackled outside the Hoppers 22 but he popped up a pass for Dodds to lopp around him for the sixth try.

Fittingly, the final try was straight out of the top drawer.

Wingman Jason Balmer was released by Dan Stephens after quick lineout ball deep in their own 22 was swept wide.

Powering away, he topped it with a body-swerve that left the full-back for dead on a 65-metre crowd-pleaser that whets the palate for next season.