BRADFORD on Avon head coach Dave George was pleased to see his side turn their pre-season promise into an opening-day victory as they romped past Trowbridge 2nd 39-6 in Dorset & Wilts One North.

The visitors defeated Southern Counties South side Corsham in a pre-season fixture and hit the ground running with a bonus-point triumph at Doric Park.

Centre Josh Felix crossed for a try and booted two penalties and two coversions as veteran hooker Jules Tucker, skipper Oli Stacey, wing Vaughan Conybear, fly-half Sam Jones and number eight Oli Bilton all touched down.

"We had been working hard in training and that showed,'' said George, who saw Dean Priestman make his debut in the second row after joining from Warminster and last year's Academy skipper Joe De Jager set up in the back row.

"Our lineout went excellently and our line speed and work around the ruck was good. We got beaten up a bit in the scrum but that's something we can work on.

"We scored six tries but we probably left another five behind so that's something we'll look at.''

Melksham also made the perfect start to the campaign as they defeated Royal Wootton Bassett 2nd 48-8 at Oakfields.

The home team were to strike first with quick ball out through the backs to winger Kieran Jenkins to go over in the corner.

Five minutes later flanker Ollie Cooper broke from the ruck for the second try of the day the conversion being added by fly-half Scott Simmons.

Bassett responded with a penalty but, having worked midway into the visitors’ half, quick ball from the scrum caught centre Phil Stone running directly and at pace to score, Simmons adding the extras.

Melksham's control tightened when scrum-half Callum Hurn darted up the blind side from a ruck to score the bonus-point try.

In the second half a fumbled ball was chip-kicked on and collected by the chasing Hurn who passed out through centre Connor Randall onto winger Ben Brown to score, Simmons converting.

Quick hands from Charlie Radcliffe then found Hurn stretching for line for his second before centre Phil Stone and Randall also touched down, Simmons adding one conversion.

Warminster were also day one winners as they claimed a 19-12 triumph at Avonvale.

Laisiasa Vinakadina crossed for two tries for the visitors, with Jason Sprangle converting the first of them as Warminster took control in the opening half.

Tom Evans added a third try on the hour mark before Warminster lost Vinakadina and Dan Bowman to yellow cards, allowing Avonvale to get on the scoreboard before the end.

In Dorset & Wilts Two North, Westbury lost their opening encounter 54-12 at Calne.