Wolfhounds Tries: Maebh Clenaghan, Molly Boyne, Amy Larn, Eve Higgins, Aoife Dalton, Katie Heffernan, Claire Boles, Ella Roberts; Cons: Dannah O’Brien 3, Stacey Flood
THE Wolfhounds’ first ever trip to Wales ended in a convincing 48-0 bonus point win over Bryton Thunder, a result which moved them temporarily to the top of the Celtic Challenge table.
Stacey Flood delivered a player-of-the-match performance in Llanelli, impressing at full-back and then at out-half during the closing stage, as the defending champions picked up their third bonus point victory in four rounds.
Linda Djougang and Flood both stood out as Neill Alcorn’s side swept into a 31-0 half-time lead. The tries were shared out by Maebh Clenaghan, Molly Boyne, Amy Larn, Eve Higgins, and Aoife Dalton.
The Wolfhounds coaches would have been most pleased with the defensive shutout as Brython Thunder, who had tested Edinburgh last week, were unable to take the bare look off the scoreboard.
The returning Katie Heffernan, captain Claire Boles, and Ella Roberts also crossed the whitewash as Alcorn’s charges scored eight tries for the second week running. Their rearranged home match against Brython takes place at the UCD Bowl next Saturday, January 18 (kick-off 1.30pm).
The Welsh outfit fell behind inside the opening three minutes, with Boles and Djougang helping Ulster hooker Clenaghan to crash over from a lineout maul. Dannah O’Brien’s well-struck conversion made it a full seven-pointer.
The visitors got through some defensive sets inside their own half before building for a second score in the 11th minute. Again the lineout provided the launchpad, the forwards chipping away near the left corner before Boyne drove in low to make the line.
Wicklow ace Roberts, who came into the starting line-up on the right wing, was tackled into touch as the Wolfhounds continued to threaten, but there was no denying Larn on the opposite wing just minutes later.
Higgins supplied a clever killer pass, floating it out for Dalton and the increasingly-influential Flood to send the Ireland Sevens youngster over in the corner. O’Brien added a terrific touchline conversion to make it 19-0.
Brython Thunder enjoyed a purple patch in response, going close to scoring on two occasions. Dalton crucially ripped possession away from Ellie Tromans just a few metres out, and a penalty for crossing saw Meg Webb pulled back during another promising attack.
The powerful carrying of Erin King and Djougang punched more holes in the Brython defence, although O’Brien had a rare misfire when missing touch from a penalty. A scrum penalty kept them playing in the right areas, though.
Two more tries followed before the break, with Higgins running hard to shrug off tackles from Hannah Lane and Niamh Terry as she pocketed the bonus point with 35 minutes on the clock.
A King lineout steal kept Brython out of the Wolfhounds 22, and a Seren Singleton error – she kicked the ball dead when there was still time to play – was ruthlessly punished by Dalton’s late effort. She beat three defenders with a brilliantly-timed burst from 20 metres out.
Handling errors made for some stop-start passages of play on the resumption, but again the Wolfhounds were quickest off the mark. Ten minutes in, Heffernan squeezed over in the left corner after Higgins had used scrum ball to send Flood away on a pacy break from deep.
Despite tireless Brython skipper Natalia John leading her side back within scoring range, and Hanna Marshall making an impact off the bench, the Wolfhounds defence stood firm under pressure thanks to King’s hard work at the breakdown.
Flood moved to out-half for the final quarter, and with replacements Caoimhe Molloy and Tricia Doyle quickly getting on the ball, Alcorn’s charges were keen for more, and a seventh and final try was their reward.
Their reliable lineout had them pressing close in, and replacement scrum half Rachael McIlroy switched play back to the blindside where Boles expertly stepped inside the covering John to muscle her way over. Flood tagged on a fine conversion from out wide.
There was still time for Roberts – a real star for the Combined Provinces in the inaugural Celtic Challenge two years ago – to get on the scoresheet. Boles and Doyle hammered it up through the middle before Flood’s arcing pass set up Higgins to put the supporting winger over.
BRYTHON THUNDER: Hannah Lane; Ellie Tromans, Hannah Bluck, Meg Webb, Eleanor Hing; Niamh Terry, Seren Singleton; Lowri Williams, Poppy Hughes, Katie Carr, Robyn Davies, Natalia John (capt), Kira Philpott, Lucy Isaac, Jess Rogers.
Replacements: Chloe Gant, Meg Lewis, Cadi Lois Davies, Anna Davies, Anna Stowell, Hanna Marshall, Savannah Picton-Powell, Ffion Davies.
WOLFHOUNDS: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC); Ella Roberts (Wicklow RFC/Leinster), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC), Amy Larn (Athy RFC); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Jade Gaffney (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster); Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Maebh Clenaghan (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Cooke RFC/Ulster), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Alma Atagamen (Balbriggan RFC), Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair (Blackrock College RFC), Molly Boyne (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC/Ulster) (capt), Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC).
Replacements: Kelly Burke (Mullingar RFC/Leinster), Tricia Doyle (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Ciara Short (Wicklow RFC), Caoimhe Molloy (Wicklow RFC/Leinster), Rachael McIlroy (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Leah Tarpey (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Katie Heffernan (Railway Union RFC).
Referee: Jack Davies (WRU)
