Centre Niamh Murphy’s fantastic try proved decisive for Clovers in their away win at Ystrad Mynach last weekend
Richard Bullick
Tenacious Clovers booked their place in the inaugural Celtic Challenge play-offs and took a significant step towards securing a home semi-final with a hard-fought 19-14 away win over main rivals Gwalia Lightning in this crunch clash in Caerphilly.
Denis Fogarty’s side consolidated their hold on second place in the table by digging in for a second narrow win on Welsh soil in this campaign and extend their winning streak to five fixtures ahead of hosting Edinburgh at Galway’s Dexcom Stadium this Saturday (12.30pm).
Their character was certainly tested again at Ystrad Mynach on Valentine’s Day, but Clovers hung on for a very valuable victory against Gwalia, who have now followed a run of four wins with back-to-back defeats against Irish opposition.
It was evident from how broadly beaming Player of the Match Alana McInerney was absolutely bubbling in her post-match interview just how much this triumph meant to Clovers, for whom the Clare three-quarter finished the game as on-field captain.
McInerney followed her best buddy Aoife Corey by crossing the whitewash in the opening period as Clovers led 12-0 at the break and the latter’s centre partner Niamh Murphy scored a good try as the gap grew to 19 points.
But Gwalia Lightning hit back with two tries of their own, meaning it was a single-score game for the last 14 minutes, and this relatively young Clovers side again showed considerable resilience as they have done throughout this encouraging campaign to date.
Thankfully, the affable Fogarty must be better at coaching than counting, for when the Clovers supremo proudly stated that 40 players have got game-time in the current Celtic Challenge, he was two short of the actual number used in the first seven rounds of fixtures.
To date, 42 players have made it onto the field for Clovers this season, even though seven members of the 31-strong squad originally announced in December – including the Ireland trio of Amee-Leigh Costigan, Enya Breen and Ivana Kiripati – haven’t featured at all.
There has been limited involvement for quite a few other established stars due to injury but already-identified talented teenagers such as Caitriona Finn and Jemima Adams-Verling have stepped up along with several less established names.
One such hero has been big second row Aoibheann McGrath, who has two Player of the Match awards under her belt, exciting centre Murphy has shone and stalwarts like Corey and McInerney have provided valuable leadership within a largely young group.
Ireland lock Ruth Campbell has taken the captaincy since returning from a neck injury, international scrumhalf Emily Lane led the team for the first five games and young Ulsterwoman Sadhbh McGrath has been a real bulwark up front for Clovers.
However, outhalf Finn has been a hugely influential figure so it was a big blow when she was ruled out of this trip to Wales with the injury that forced her off in the win against Glasgow in the previous fixture.
Her absence was compounded by that of fairly experienced playmaker Kate Flannery, one of those originally named in the Clovers squad who haven’t been fit to line out, but 18-year-old Siofra Hession wasn’t daunted by being given the responsibility of wearing the No 10 jersey.
The outhalf who finished against Gwalia was Ireland Under 20 international Ellie O’Sullivan-Sexton, the 18th back to play for Clovers in this campaign and prop Grainne Burke became the 24th forward near the end. In fairness, perhaps Fogarty only counted up until this game.
The Clovers starting side showed seven personnel changes from the line-up which had taken the field at Scotstoun ahead of the down weekend, plus a positional switch with McInerney going from inside to outside centre.
Emily Foley and Chisom Ugwueru, making her first start since sustaining a medial ligament tear playing for Munster in last August’s interpros, came in on the wings for Lyndsay Clarke and Ireland’s Anna McGann, with Murphy taking over from Orla Dixon in the centre.
As already indicated, the injured Finn’s place at outhalf was taken by the even younger Hession, leaving her halfback partner Lane and fullback Corey as the only backs remaining in the same roles as last time out.
The only change in the back five of the pack saw a first start of the campaign for Ireland-capped flanker Ailish Quinn at openside in place of Annakate Cournane, with flanker Faith Oviawe and No 8 Adams-Verling retaining their spots.
There were two alterations in the front row, Sadhbh McGrath returning at tighthead after being given a breather on the bench initially against Glasgow and young Uillin Eilian coming back in at hooker for Saoirse Crowe.
Adams-Verling, who has clocked up the most game-time of any Irish player in this season’s Celtic Challenge, made a big break deep into the home 22 inside the opening minute of this ferocious, fascinating contest, but the ball was thrown away.
There was a similar rampage by Sadhbh McGrath in the ninth minute and McInerney took the ball on but it was eventually lost forward, though the first score by the deserving visitors soon followed, with Hession putting Corey over for an unconverted try.
Eilian was showing impressive physicality as Clovers continued to be well up for the battle and they were rewarded with a second try midway through the opening period after sustained waves of pressure.
Fogarty’s women went through multiple phases before McInerney cut right through on the 22, raced to the tryline and then darted behind the posts to give Hession the straightforward task of adding the extras to make it 12-0.
Corey and Sadhbh McGrath both won good turnovers early in the second quarter, the latter’s namesake Aoibheann McGrath sold one memorable dummy in the wide channels and McInerney showed her physicality in another abrasive break.
Gwalia were getting into the game more and Clovers were indebted to Corey covering superbly from a kick rolled for the home winger and a number of strong, vital tackles, the last of which from Ireland prop Siobhan McCarthy forced an opposition knock-on.
But the siege was far from over, with a crooked lineout throw by Clovers inviting another period of pressure, which included Lightning opting for a scrum on the visiting 22 when awarded a penalty.
There was great defending by Campbell, Adams-Verling, Sadhbh McGrath and Corey which helped keep the bright blue jerseys at bay and, when Gwalia went to the corner with a 38th minute penalty, Adams-Verling stole their throw and Hession found a good touch.
Gwalia won that lineout alright but then lost the ball forward, Adams-Verling picked up from the reset scrum and make good ground, and although Hession kicked out on the full, time was up for the first half.
Clovers had a fair bit of variety to their game, mixing rampages by the forwards with the ambition to get the ball wide when the opportunity presented itself and there was decent cohesion especially considering this was a much-changed team with a new playmaker.
The abrasive Quinn understandably appeared a tad rusty at times but both she and Ugwueru can take heart from their run-on comebacks before both were withdrawn half an hour from the end along with captain Campbell, another recently returned from injury.
Their places were taken by Cournane, Connacht Player of the Year Dixon and Ireland training squad call-up Rosie Searle respectively, and it wasn’t long until Clovers went further ahead with their third try.
Initially Adams-Verling picked up from a scrum outside her own 22 and Clovers worked their way upfield before good breaks by both centres paved the way for Murphy to score a fantastic try, taking a lovely line through traffic and getting away with those long strides.
Murphy had also scored a tremendous try on her previous outing against Brython in Cork and, although Ireland are well-stocked with excellent centres, she can surely look forward to a starting spot in this spring’s inaugural Under 21 Six Nations.
Hession kicked a great conversion from a good way out on the right to put Clovers 19 points ahead and leave Lightning needing to strike back quickly, which they duly did before the end of the third quarter.
Replacement Cournane made two tackles in very quick succession and the visitors held out for a while as Gwalia went through the phases, but eventually the ball was flashed left and GB sevens star Courtney Greenway cut back in and bounced Murphy to score.
The touchdown, which took Greenway clear at the top of the competition’s try-scoring chart, came just ahead of the hour mark, outhalf Carys Hughes added the conversion and Clovers replaced their own No 10 Hession with O’Sullivan-Sexton before play resumed.
The Irish scrumhalves are clearly being encouraged to kick more in this Celtic Challenge, and Whelan – who had taken over from Lane as part of a double change at halfback – is the most comfortable putting boot to ball but sent one dead shortly after coming on.
Connacht youngster Siofra Hession did well deputising for the injured Caitriona Finn at outhalf for Clovers in Wales
Dixon knocked on a difficult low pass from O’Sullivan-Sexton in her own 22 after catching a Gwalia kick and that provided the platform from which the home side scored their second try to put the outcome right back in the melting pot.
Prop Evie Hill got over after a spell of pressure on the Clovers line and the conversion from Hughes brought Gwalia back to within five points of their visitors with some 13 minutes of the match remaining.
With some momentum now, and a vocal crowd behind them, Gwalia would have backed themselves to kick on, so this was another great test of a Clovers side who will undeniably be more battle-hardened than Wolfhounds if we do end up getting an all-Irish final.
They rose to the test again here and, recognising the high stakes, Fogarty kept his two Ireland props McCarthy and Sadhbh McGrath going for longer than the shifts we would often see from front row forwards.
Replacement hooker Aoife Fleming was called for a crooked throw and Gwalia had a spell of pressure but the slight Foley made a great darting run to halfway followed by a carry by Adams-Verling only for Gwalia to win the ball back and then get a penalty.
Adams-Verling was getting through a mountain of work and Corey made an important tackle out wide but the key moment was arguably a brilliant rip deep in her own 22 by Cournane, who then made good ground on the break.
Sadhbh McGrath took it on ferociously, O’Sullivan-Sexton kicked long and when Gwalia ran it back, Greenway fumbled forward, with Burns being brought on for McCarthy ahead of the resulting scrum on 75 minutes.
Gwalia’s inspirational skipper Bryonie King was forced to bow out following a knock, robbing her team of a key weapon, and Clovers won a penalty after the uncompromising McInerney had cleaned up a loose pass into midfield and carried with intent.
With three minutes remaining, the immense Sadhbh McGrath was finally called ashore after another tremendous shift, but Gwalia were driven off their own ball at the next scrum and Clovers battled up to the opposition 22 with the referee playing advantage.
Precious time was used up before the teams were brought back for the penalty, Clovers opted for a scrum, went left from it and then, with the clock having turned red, Dixon opted to kick the ball into touch and not risk the win by further chasing a fourth try for the bonus-point.
This was a performance on the road which Clovers can be exceptionally proud of and it was apparent from McInerney’s demeanour in her post-match television interview not long after the final whistle that this victory meant a lot to the team.
“It was really tough, Gwalia really put it up to us and we kind of lost control but I’m so proud of the girls putting out a performance for 80 minutes. We were like dogs out there,” she said, in reference to the team’s willingness to scrap hard throughout.
Fogarty added: “We showed some great moments in the first half of how we like to attack and move the ball. It was really, really pleasing. There are certain areas to tidy up on so as not to put ourselves under pressure.
“But take nothing away from Gwalia, they are a really tough team. It was a real challenge and how the girls fought to the end was really pleasing. This squad has shown real resilience this season, we’ve used 40 players so far and it’s great to see the growth.”
We can forgive Fogarty for understating the number considering how well Clovers have coped with being quite depleted over the past couple of months, with prominent players missing multiple matches or being absent altogether.
Ireland Sevens Player of the Year Hannah Clarke and Jane Neill, Ireland Under 20s captain of the past two summers, weren’t named in this season’s Clovers squad due to injury while seven of the 31 originally announced haven’t been among the 42 to tog out to date.
Those seven are internationals Costigan, Breen and Kiripati plus flyhalf Flannery, tighthead prop Eilis Cahill – a recent AIL Player of the Season – Connacht captain Eabha Nic Dhonnacha and young forward Sally Kelly.
So that brings us beyond 50 players – not even including others who haven’t been involved for whatever reason such as Clara Barrett, Claire Bennett and Brianna Heylmann – which is a reassuring reflection of how improved pathways are delivering developing depth.
One exciting aspect to this Saturday’s match against Edinburgh at Dexcom Stadium – the first women’s match to be staged there since the ground’s redevelopment – is that plenty of Clovers players will hope to be back there in green jerseys in a few weeks.
As the curtain-raiser to Ireland’s showdown with Italy in the Guinness Six Nations on April 11 – the first Championship match to have been played in Galway – the two countries will clash in the opening game of the brand new Under 21 Six Nations.
CLOVERS (v Gwalia Lightning): Aoife Corey; Emily Foley, Alana McInerney, Niamh Murphy, Chisom Ugwueru (Orla Dixon, 50); Siofra Hession (Ellie O’Sullivan-Sexton, 60), Emily Lane (Katie Whelan, 60); Siobhan McCarthy (Ella Burns, 74), Uillin Eilian (Aoife Fleming, 64), Sadhbh McGrath (Grainne Burke, 77), Aoibheann McGrath, Ruth Campbell (capt; Rosie Searle, 50), Faith Oviawe, Ailish Quinn (Annakate Cournane, 50), Jemima Adams-Verling.
Niamh Murphy (right) is among a number of young Irish players to have caught the eye in the Celtic Challenge
