The Czech Republic made an emphatic start to their bid to qualify for Rugby World Cup 2019 with a 56-14 win over Sweden in Enkoping on Saturday.

The visitors took the lead in the seventh minute through captain and number eight Vojtěch Havel's try and their victory in the opening Rugby Europe Conference 1 North 2016-17 fixture was never in doubt.

VIEW THE FULL RANKINGS >>

Flanker Martin Charvát crossed 10 minutes later and it got worse for Sweden when their own flanker Måns Derk was sin-binned. In his absence, Havel added his second try and then, as half-time approached, centre Aleš Stejskal dotted down to make it 28-0.

With the bonus point already secured, the Czech Republic kept up the pressure at the Korsangen Rugby Arena with fly-half Jiří Pantůček adding try number five eight minutes after the break.

Captain Havel completed his hat-trick on the hour mark and even the loss of hooker Ondřej Kutil didn't face the Czech Republic as second-row Martin Wognitsch crossed soon after for their seventh try.

Sweden finally got on the board with eight minutes to go through winger Theuri Njuru, but replacement Jan Olbrich took the Czech Republic through the half century mark, winger Tomáš Forst kicking his eighth conversion of the match.

There was still time for replacement Nave Bobby to have the final say with a consolation try for Sweden, but the Czech Republic were well worth their victory in Enkoping.

The Czech Republic's reward for the win will be a one-place climb to 32nd in the World Rugby Rankings at 12:00 UK time on Monday. Sweden will fall three places to their lowest ever position of 61st as a result of the heavy loss on home soil.

Photo credit: Fredrik Wicksell