WHITCHURCH Rugby Club won their first game of the season in emphatic style last weekend after they blew away newly promoted Kidderminster Carolinians at Edgley Park.

The home side were on a run of three disappointing defeats but were far superior to the visiting team that had only lost twice last season.

The game started fairly evenly with both sides committed to fast open rugby and it was the home side who scored first through a typical, forceful run from Luca Owen-Youens who took several Kidderminster players with him over the line.

Ryan Horton missed the conversion but made amends within two minutes with a well struck penalty.

The visitors came back with a concerted attack but the red defence held up and reduced them to just a penalty.

At 10-3, Whitchurch took complete control and a wonderful side to side movement eventually put Jake Dodwell clear for the first of a hat trick of tries.

The scoring now became constant with Owen-Youens getting a second and then captain Jon Cope forced his way over a great try from Ryan Horton between Dodwell’s last two was followed by a sizzling try finished off by the superb Henry Hockenhull.

Whitchurch now began to take their foot off the accelerator and Kidderminster manage a good converted try of their own.

This appeared to spring the lightning backs of Whitchurch back into full throttle and it was almost immediately that the impressive Tom Davies displayed great footwork and searing pace to go over in the corner.

The scoreline proudly showed 53-10 but the Edgeley Park boys were not finished.

Mike Gardiner came on as a substitute and within three minutes he had made one of his typical half breaks before offloading to Henry Hockenhull who glided through the posts for the final try.

Ryan Horton completed the scoring with his fifth conversion of the ten tries the men in red had scored.

Another heartening sight was the return after two years out injured of Ian Hockenhull.

When he came onto the pitch in the second half, the players around him were lifted and it was almost symbolic that the good times are returning to Edgeley Park.

Coach Scott Sturdy said after the game: “It was great to go out and perform how we did last season.

"It was pleasing to see lots of things that we have worked on now coming through.

"Now we have to build on this in some tough fixtures over the next few weeks.”