Wolfhounds and Clovers off to winning starts in the Celtic Challenge 

Wolfhounds defeated Edinburgh while the Clovers got the better of Gwalia Lightning

WOLFHOUNDS: Wolfhounds players celebrate after the game. Picture: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane

Wolfhounds 34 Edinburgh 7

Ireland U20 duo Sophie Barrett and Robyn O’Connor took the opportunity to impress as the Wolfhounds beat Edinburgh Rugby 34-7 to make a winning start to their Celtic Challenge campaign.

Neill Alcorn’s team, led this season by Ireland centre Aoife Dalton, put a quick-fire dozen points on the board at Energia Park, when Enniskillen pair Barrett and India Daley both crashed over, the latter from a maul.

Maggie Boylan then collected Dannah O’Brien’s cross-field kick to add to the 12 Energia All-Ireland League tries she has scored for Blackrock College. Cat Moody replied for Edinburgh before half-time.

The defending champions, who had young full-back O’Connor in player-of-the-match form, took care of their bonus point by the hour mark. Barrett bulldozed in under the posts before Eve Higgins broke clear to score from her own tap penalty.

Edinburgh lost full-back Scarlett Haddow to the sin bin for a high tackle on Higgins, but the Wolfhounds had to wait until late on for Linda Djougang to expertly slip past three defenders for their sixth and final try.

The competition’s two Irish sides will lock horns in the second round on Saturday, January 3, with Creggs RFC the venue for the rematch between the Clovers and the Wolfhounds, the top two finishers in last year’s Celtic Challenge.

WOLFHOUNDS: Robyn O’Connor (Leinster); Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Leinster), Aoife Dalton (Leinster) (capt), Eve Higgins (Leinster), Maggie Boylan (Leinster); Dannah O’Brien (Leinster), Aoibheann Reilly (Connacht); Cara McLean (Ulster), India Daley (Ulster), Sophie Barrett (Ulster), Naoise Smyth (Leinster), Kate Jordan (Leinster), Poppy Garvey (Connacht), Maeve Óg O’Leary (Munster), Claire Boles (Ulster).

Replacements: Maebh Clenaghan (Ulster), Caoimhe Molloy (Leinster), Linda Djougang (Leinster), Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair (Leinster), Aoife Corcoran (Leinster), Jade Gaffney (Leinster), Amy Larn (Leinster), Stacey Flood (Leinster).

EDINBURGH RUGBY: Scarlett Haddow; Cieron Bell, Rachel Philipps, Lucy MacRae, Hannah Walker (capt); Hannah Ramsay, Emily Love; Talei Tawake, Aila Ronald, Faye Sutherland, Adelle Ferrie, Natasha Logan, Cat Moody, Alex Stewart, Merryn Gunderson.

Replacements: Millie Whitehouse, Alison Wilson, Hannah McMahon, Charlotte Russell, Lauryn McGrotty, Pip Benson, Nicole Marlow, Lisa Brown.

Referee: Padraic Reidy (IRFU) 

CLOVERS: Aoibheann McGrath of Clovers scores a try. Pictures: ©INPHO/Henry Simpson

Clovers 35 Gwalia Lightning 31

Sadhbh McGrath made a big splash on the Celtic Challenge’s opening day, scoring two tries in a player-of-the-match performance as the Clovers claimed a 35-31 bonus point win over Gwalia Lightning.

The Welsh side were strong in both the second and final quarters at Energia Park, matching their opponents’ five-try haul, but Denis Fogarty’s side prevailed with Caitríona Finn crucially landing all of her conversions.

Ireland prop McGrath and newcomer Niamh Murphy had the Clovers two converted scores in front, before Gwalia Lightning replied with three tries of their own to lead 17-14 at half-time.

Powerful front rowers Evie Hill and Maisie Davies both touched down, either side of a slick Courtney Greenway finish. Gwalia’s starting XV contained six Wales internationals, including four forwards who played at the recent Rugby World Cup.

However, after Jemima Adams Verling and Davies swapped tries, the Clovers kicked for home with McGrath and replacement Aoibheann McGrath both crossing before Tilly Vucaj’s late effort gave Gwalia two bonus points.

CLOVERS: Aoife Corey (Munster); Béibhinn Parsons (Connacht), Anna McGann (Connacht), Niamh Murphy (Leinster), Alana McInerney (Munster); Caitríona Finn (Munster), Emily Lane (Munster) (capt); Ella Burns (Connacht), Emma Dunican (Munster), Sadhbh McGrath (Ulster), Aoibhe O’Flynn (Munster), Jane Clohessy (Munster), Rosie Searle (Leinster), Faith Oviawe (Connacht), Jemima Adams Verling (Connacht).

Replacements: Uillian Eilian (Connacht), Siobhán McCarthy (Munster), Lily Morris (Munster), Aoibheann McGrath (Munster), Caoimhe Murphy (Munster), Eve Prendergast (Munster), Síofra Hession (Connacht), Méabh Deely (Connacht).

GWALIA LIGHTNING: Catherine Richards; Courtney Greenway, Kelsie Webster, Molly Anderson Thomas, Caitlin Lewis; Carys Hughes, Katie Bevans; Maisie Davies, Molly Reardon, Evie Hill, Erin Jones, Tilly Vucaj, Lottie Buffery Latham, Catrin Stewart, Bryonie King (capt).

Replacements: Molly Wakely, Chloe Thomas Bradley, Roisin Maher, Chiara Pearce, Lily Terry, Anwen Owen, Nikita Prothero, Nia Fajeyisan.

Referee: Dermot Blake (IRFU)