Ireland fullback Aoife Corey (right) scored the final Clovers try for the second match running
CLOVERS 29 BRYTHON THUNDER 12
Richard Bullick
AS with the win against Glasgow Warriors in Belfast the previous Sunday, fullback Aoife Corey again scored her team’s final try and teenage outhalf Caitriona Finn picked up another Player of the Match award in this Clovers victory over Brython Thunder in Cork.
This five-try triumph completed a hard-earned double for Denis Fogarty’s side over Brython, who they had dug deep to edge 15-12 in Cardiff Arms Park a fortnight earlier ahead of that free-flowing 57-31 defeat of Glasgow.
Despite coming off a 69-0 thrashing at the hands of star-studded Wolfhounds the week before, Brython returned to Ireland determined to break their duck this season with a revenge victory over a Clovers team missing so many frontline players.
Fogarty could field only four internationals in skipper Emily Lane, props Siobhan McCarthy and Ulster’s Sadhbh McGrath, and Corey whose sole Ireland appearance came against Scotland in last spring’s Six Nations.
The visitors had more experience in their ranks, not least in a front row which contained veteran hooker Rhian Bowden and the humongous 18-stone tighthead Sisilia Tuipulotu, who have more than 80 Welsh caps between them.
Perhaps predictably, Brython were awarded a plethora of scrum penalties, but while the visitors may have had the upper hand in that set-piece battle, resourceful Clovers found other ways to win the war.
It was a tough afternoon for the Clovers props but Donegal woman Sadhbh McGrath was absolutely immense in the loose, setting the tone with two fantastic turnovers early on and carrying like an absolute beast throughout her huge 73-minute shift.
Fellow prop McCarthy plunged over for the opening try after McGrath had shown hunger and awareness to go again and bash her way even closer to the line when not held in the tackle after her initial stampede in the opposition 22.
The sides were level 12-12 at the interval but it was McGrath again who paved the way for the first Clovers score of the second half, smashing her way forward with a double rampage which included taking a quick tap penalty and getting the hosts on the front foot.
Scrumhalf Lane sniped over a few minutes later to give Clovers a lead they never lost, exciting centre Niamh Murphy secured the bonus-point with a cracking try early in the final quarter and the excellent Corey conjured a fantastic fifth five minutes from the end.
Disappointingly left out of the Irish squad for the previous week’s training camp, the whole-hearted Corey continues to put her hand up for higher honours while she and fellow Ennis native Alana McInerney are very valuable assets for Fogarty’s Clovers.
At 24, the pair are actually among the more mature players in this callow Clovers side so bring relative life experience along with uncompromising physicality for backs, and a pumped-up McInerney was like a woman possessed on Sunday.
Against opponents who had almost scalped them a fortnight before and in their only regular league game scheduled for Cork, the physical commitment from Clovers was predictable but they also have the cool head of calculating teenage outhalf Finn to steer the ship.
The poker-faced Finn, who won’t turn 20 until the summer, is an exceptional prospect for her age and this was her fifth Player of the Match award in big games this season including three from four fixtures back in August as Munster won the interpros.
She showed her mental toughness in adversity against Brython at the Arms Park, crucially not dropping her head when a couple of things didn’t go her way in a tight game, and has had two dominant displays on Irish soil since.
Like Ireland’s regular No 10 Dannah O’Brien, Finn is an accomplished left-footed kicker, both out of hand and off the tee, but perhaps offers more of an attacking threat, both with ball in hand and also her willingness to play flat and distribute including creating two tries here.
Still just 22 herself, O’Brien has been superb for Ireland, starting 27 of their last 30 matches, but with the retirement from international rugby of veteran Nicole Fowley, Finn is now the second-choice outhalf.
Also able to play inside centre, and fullback, if the tall and relatively physical Finn keeps progressing, there could be a healthy rivalry for the green No 10 jersey for many years to come, with Enya Breen and Stacey Flood also able to provide cover in matchday squads.
Brought to the WXV1 tournament in Vancouver by Ireland just a few weeks after turning 18 and making her Munster senior debut, Finn steered the southern province to the interpro title this season and has started all five fixtures for Clovers so far in this Celtic Challenge.
Having started with five from five against Gwalia Lightning – her conversions proved the difference in a 35-31 Clovers victory – Finn has led the way for place-kicking percentages in this season’s competition and at one stage nailed six attempts on the trot against Glasgow.
Circumstances mean that there are plenty of promising prospects getting a lot of Celtic Challenge game-time for Clovers at present and that is especially exciting in the context of last week’s announcement of a new Under 21 Six Nations competition.
The emerging greens will play their first fixture against Italy in Galway on April 18 as the curtain-raiser to the senior Six Nations clash between the two countries and this Clovers squad should be well represented in green jerseys.
McGrath is a regular in the main Ireland matchday squad, but the list set to feature for the Under 21s could include the likes of Finn, No 8 Jemima Adams-Verling, flanker Rosie Searle, centre Murphy and lock Aoibheann McGrath with others hoping to be in the mix too.
Additionally, there are Clovers players eligible on age grounds who are currently sidelined by injury including hooker Beth Buttimer and loose forwards Ivana Kiripati and Ailish Quinn, though unfortunately Jane Neill and Galway girl Hannah Clarke are out longer-term.
So the advent of the U21 Six Nations makes the Celtic Challenge even more of an important shop window for promising players but this Clovers campaign is stirring in itself and a depleted team deserves credit for their run of three consecutive victories.
The evident quality of Adams-Verling as a specialist No 8 making an impression at an early age and proving capable of clocking up more minutes than most reminds one of a young Jamie Heaslip, which is high praise indeed.
Ireland’s Siobhan McCarthy crashes over the Brython Thunder line for the first Clovers try
Still aged just 19 but now professionally contracted to the IRFU, being brought into the Ireland senior squad for their recent camp gives Adams-Verling the opportunity to rub shoulders with and learn from the likes of Aoife Wafer, Brittany Hogan and Erin King.
Meanwhile, she’s getting great exposure with Clovers – five consecutive starts so far in this Celtic Challenge – and has the Under 21 Six Nations to look forward to, which all adds up to unprecedented development opportunities for the emerging generation.
Before turning to the blow-by-blow account of how Clovers completed the double over Brython, it’s perhaps worth name-checking those listed in Fogarty’s squad ahead of the current competition who didn’t feature at the weekend.
Meabh Deely, Amee-Leigh Costigan, Beibhinn Parsons, Anna McGann, Enya Breen, Ruth Campbell, Jane Clohessy, Ivana Kiripati and Ailish Quinn are all full internationals, while the uncapped Beth Buttimer was part of Ireland’s World Cup squad last summer.
Agile lock Aoibhe O’Flynn is another notable absentee at present along with flyhalf Kate Flannery, who has been in Ireland training squads, and we can’t forget Neill, Hannah Clarke and Chisom Ugwueru were already ruled out before this Celtic Challenge began.
Compared to the starting line-up against Glasgow last time out, the diminutive Emily Foley was on the right wing for McGann, having taken over from her at half-time in Belfast, while Lyndsay Clarke got the nod at inside centre with Lucia Linn reverting to the bench.
The loss of Clohessy to the arm injury sustained in the Glasgow game resulted in Faith Oviawe being moved into the second row with flanker Annakate Cournane getting a first start, while Ireland’s McCarthy came in at loosehead for Ella Burns to combat Tuipulotu.
It took all of 30 seconds for Sadhbh McGrath to win her first turnover, but Brython got their first scrum penalty in just the third minute after rumbling forward ominously in what would become a recurring theme of the opening half.
Prop McGrath responded by winning a breakdown penalty after five minutes and, although Clovers got pinged again at the next scrum, they survived on their own first put-in and soon found themselves with a numerical advantage.
Wales centre Hannah Bluck stupidly tackled Lane immediately as the Clovers skipper went to take a penalty quickly and the hosts took advantage with a try on the quarter hour mark albeit after McInerney had initially kicked possession away.
Clovers openside flanker Annakate Cournane in action during her first Celtic Challenge start
The winger’s cross-kick probably wasn’t a great option but she soon made amends, running back a Brython clearance with great intent to 10 metres out, followed up by Sadhbh McGrath’s ferocious carry.
The tighthead had a second bite, causing a sufficient dent in the Thunder defence for fellow prop McCarthy to crash over, though Finn failed to add the extras from a relatively favourable position for a left-footed kicker.
Seeing the Irish scrumhalves attempt occasional box-kicks in this tournament has been encouraging and Lane gained huge ground with one such clearance but Brython had the better of the early part of the second quarter.
The visitors eventually took the lead on 28 minutes thanks to Ffion Williams’ conversion of a try by blindside Jess Rogers, who finished brilliantly after fellow flanker Lucy Isaac had broken through at pace and given her a great offload.
Two strong runs by fullback Corey and several typically punishing carries by Sadhbh McGrath got Clovers on the front foot again but Faith Oviawe was help up over the tryline in the 32nd minute.
Clovers got back in front five minutes later, both props carrying after Lane had opted to tap a penalty and then Finn putting flanker Cournane over with a deft offload close to the tryline as play came back left, before adding the extras to make it 12-7.
But it was all square at half-time, Clarke’s spill at the restart giving Brython a scrum, which yielded a penalty and veteran hooker Bowden touched down for an unconverted try from the final play after the visitors went to the corner and got their maul motoring.
Teenage hooker Uillin Eilian gave way to Saoirse Crowe five minutes into the second half and Clovers suffered a blow shortly afterwards when experienced campaigner McCarthy had to come off injured, so young Ella Burns had to come on to face Tuipulotu.
Thunder didn’t force a penalty at her first scrum, the No 8 picking up and then the ball being moved right but McInerney ripped possession back for Clovers and a great kick from Finn took play from inside her own 22 to five metres over halfway.
Winger Alana McInerney (left) and fullback Aoife Corey both shone in Clovers’ victory over Brython
The Brython throw went over the back to Crowe, with Cournane carrying next before those two thunderous charges by Sadhbh McGrath, the second when she took a quick tap penalty and ploughed well into the opposition 22.
Clovers went right and, although there was a big tackle on Murphy, Corey got the ball out to Foley and then hit the ruck hard to help the diminutive winger Foley be able to slip possession back to Lane, who sniped over sharply for an unconverted try on 53 minutes.
Crowe won a good breakdown penalty and McInerney showed her commitment midway through the half, firstly leaping high to take a high ball and again somehow reclaiming possession from her own little dink up in the air.
Despite picking up a knock just before, Finn got superb distance on a penalty right into the corner but Brython did well to defend against the Clovers maul following Aoibheann McGrath’s lineout take and were rewarded with a scrum put-in.
But Corey ran back the clearing kick to inside the visiting 22, Clarke got the ball away to her centre partner and Murphy used her long legs to good effect in making a swerving outside break to score a fantastic try which again Finn failed to convert.
Nevertheless, Clovers now held a double-digits lead with just over a quarter of an hour remaining and Fogarty soon made a couple of backline changes, Katie Whelan coming on at scrumhalf for Lane and Linn taking over from Murphy in the centre.
Whelan put in a big box-kick which went far enough for Brython to dot down for the dropout and Finn, presumably primarily for experience in case it’s an option she might need to consider on other occasions, shortly afterwards attempted a drop-goal but it was off target.
Clovers conceded another scrum penalty, but Brython missed touch and the clock continued to tick down on the Welsh side’s hopes of breaking their duck in this season’s Celtic Challenge.
Head coach Denis Fogarty can take a lot of encouragement from the Clovers campaign to date
To rub salt in their wounds, Clovers were awarded a penalty at a back-pedalling scrum just before acting captain Sadhbh McGrath gave way to Orlaith Morrissey with some seven minutes remaining.
With Oviawe also off by then, it was an exceptionally inexperienced pack which finished the game but Clovers struck again with that tremendous try by Corey, who took a lovely inside pass from Finn, went on a weaving run and spun out of contact before finishing superbly.
Finn kicked the conversion to make it 17 points without reply for Clovers in a very positive second half and, although home and hosed now, the home side showed unflinching commitment until the final whistle.
Having got treatment for a shoulder knock a little earlier, McInerney had looked a tad weary and sore as she congratulated best buddy Corey after her try, but the powerful winger still willingly hammered into contact after gathering the Brython restart.
Likewise affable fullback Corey wasn’t content to bask in her try but won a wonderful turnover in her own 22, though there could have been an unfortunate finish to the afternoon as Linn was arguably lucky not to see red for an altercation with an opponent.
When Whelan was taken way beyond the ball by Issac, an incensed Linn ran to intervene and, although there was no damage done, she and the Brython openside had a couple of flailing swipes at each other albeit making minimal contact.
Young lock Aoibheann McGrath is one of the inexperienced players who have stepped up for Clovers
It might have been sufficient for some officials to take the nuclear option or, at the very least dish out a yellow each way, but all the referee did was to penalise Linn for having come some distance to actively involve herself in the situation.
A great tackle by Finn and another good effort from Corey out wide kept Brython at bay and, after the visitors knocked on in the closing moments, Clovers even had the ambition to attack from a scrum some 10 metres outside their own 22.
Coming off her wing, McInerney went hard and made ground before Whelan put a kick over the top. That invited one of the Brython replacements to set off on a lovely break but the ball bounced into touch from a kick ahead, triggering the full-time whistle.
It is perhaps worth noting that the Clovers forwards who finished this match were Burns, Crowe, Morrissey, Green, Grimes, Aoibheann McGrath, Adams-Verling and Caoimhe Murphy, a combination surely inconceivable in advance of the competition.
Fogarty’s hand has been forced by injury to a considerable extent, but Clovers are managing to get results while also exposing development players, some of whom even those of us who follow women’s rugby closely won’t have heard of much until now.
“It was probably a game of two halves. We frustrated ourselves in the first, letting them off the hook by not holding onto the ball and not being as direct as we might have been, but we found a way in the second half.
“It’s very pleasing for the girls, and there was a big impact from the bench. Some of those players are only in with us a couple of weeks at this stage. So, pleased with the win, but we need to start faster,” reflected Fogarty.
He was being interviewed by BBC co-commentator Kathryn Buggy, the recently-retired Ireland prop, who has played with McGrath at international level and was a team-mate of Tuipulotu at English Premiership champions Gloucester Hartpury until last March.
Naturally, Buggy wanted to talk about the set-piece contest and Ireland scrum coach Fogarty admitted it had been a challenging afternoon for his charges up against that big Brython pack with Tuipulotu as the corner-stone.
“It was tough. They’d a lot of experience, and probably weight, against us at scrum-time and maul-time too. There were a few small fixes but we probably didn’t manage it as well as we maybe should have. A tough day at the office at set-piece!”
Fogarty gave Sadhbh McGrath the captaincy aged just 19 for the home match against Brython at Donnybrook two years ago – regular skipper Dorothy Wall was absent due to an exam – so as a coach certainly isn’t afraid to show faith in youth.
Two jocular characters, he and McGrath go back a long way in the Irish set-up to when she was thrown in at the deep-end for her international debut as an 18-year-old school-girl up against Tuipulotu in the 2023 Six Nations opener at Cardiff Arms Park!
Sadhbh is a totemic figure for Fogarty’s Clovers side, always leading the charge up front, with teenagers Adams-Verling and Finn also influential figures for a team well led by Lane which is so youthful that the 24-year-old duo of McInerney and Corey feel like the old pros!
Currently a comfortable third in a table which has a big gap between the top and bottom half, Clovers continue their campaign this Saturday with a trip to tackle fourth-placed Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium (2pm, TG4/Youtube) before the fortnight’s break in fixtures.
CLOVERS: Aoife Corey; Emily Foley, Niamh Murphy (Lucia Linn, 66), Lyndsay Clarke, Alana McInerney; Caitriona Finn, Emily Lane (capt; Katie Whelan, 65); Siobhan McCarthy (Ella Burns, 49), Uillin Eilian (Saoirse Crowe, 45), Sadhbh McGrath (Orlaith Morrissey), Aoibheann McGrath, Faith Oviawe (Caoimhe Murphy, 70), Rosie Searle (Amelia Green, 63), Annakate Cournane (Aoife Grimes, 73), Jemima Adams-Verling.
