MALVERN Rugby Club made a winning start to their Midlands Two West (South) campaign thanks to a 39-17 victory at newly-promoted Worcestershire rivals Evesham.

It was the first fixture between the clubs for more than 15 years and the visitors started well as they punished their hosts for a series of offside offences.

From one of these, the pack gathered the line-out ball and drove over for a try which Rob Cook converted.

The home side replied with a penalty for not rolling away, but Malvern responded when a Cook break saw the ball finding its way into the hands of skipper Tom Hale, who powered through to score and give Cook the extra points.

Malvern were shipping penalties at the breakdown as they seemed to find it difficult to adjust to the law changes and Evesham took full advantage to make their way to the Malvern line and, in spite of some good defending, forced their way over for a converted try to bring them to within four points.

Another Cook penalty stretched the lead and then, just before the break, Malvern stole the ball at an Evesham line-out and worked it through Hale and Ben King to debutant scrum-half George Parsons who dotted down for his first try for the club.

Cook kicked the extras to give his side a 14-point lead at the break.

The visitors played up the slope in the second period but that failed to stop Luke Milton from making a number of fine breaks from full back.

From attack, the ball was worked to the right where Mossie Tauribau fed Hale who went over for the bonus point try.

A knock on in front of their own line by Malvern allowed Evesham to apply some pressure and they drove over in the corner to score a converted try.

Cook responded with another penalty and as the game wore on, the visitors’ superior fitness saw them take hold of the game.

The final try was finished off by centre Ben King and Cook’s conversion put Malvern clear of their hosts to ensure a solid start for Director of Rugby Cook.

Among the highlights for Malvern were replacement Liam Roleston who went on for his first ever game at prop, replacing loose head Dominic Murphy, and acquitting himself well after Murphy had taken the sting out of Evesham’s big tight head.

Elsewhere in the front row, Glen Potter and Craig Freeman were steadfast all afternoon and the second row pairing of Adam Green and Jon Bywater dominated the line-out.

Malvern are without a game on Saturday.

But they will play their first home game in two weeks time when they play host to relegated Kenilworth.

Malvern will have home advantage in the quarter-final of the North Midlands Shield.

The Spring Lane side, who beat Ledbury 35-14 in the previous round, will host either Oswestry or Sutton Coldfield’s Veseyans on a date yet to be set.

Oswestry play in South Lancs/Cheshire Division Two while Veseyans ply their trade in the northern section of Midlands Two West.