Debutant replacement Aoibheann McGrath plunges over the Gwalia line for Clovers’ conclusive fifth try (©INPHO/Henry Simpson)
CLOVERS 35 GWALIA LIGHTNING 31
RICHARD BULLICK AT ENERGIA PARK
YOUNG Ulster prop Sadhbh McGrath bagged a brace of tries as Clovers launched their Celtic Challenge campaign with a thrilling victory over valiant visitors Gwalia Lightning in the opening game of this season’s competition at Energia Park.
Back in action for the first time since Ireland’s World Cup group game against New Zealand the first Sunday in September, the 21-year-old Donegal powerhouse carried ferociously for Denis Fogarty’s team throughout.
“Buzzing to be back out there after the break and then a six-week pre-season. We wouldn’t be fully happy with how we played and there’s a lot to work on, but everyone worked hard for each other,” said Sadhbh, clutching an ice-pack against a huge bump on her forehead.
Despite her youth, McGrath has had much more high-level exposure than her colleagues in a callow Clovers pack which was under real pressure at times, but she has a lot of faith in her less experienced colleagues in this team.
“The young ones are unbelievable and we back them absolutely,” declared McGrath, who had particular praise for the ‘vision’ and play-making of teenager Caitriona Finn, whose exemplary place-kicking proved the difference on the scoreboard.
McGrath was joined on the scoresheet in Dublin by impressive new centre Niamh Murphy, young Connacht No 8 Jemima Adams-Verling and Sadhbh’s debutant namesake Aoibheann McGrath on an afternoon when Clovers had to come from behind twice.
Ireland forward Jane Clohessy on the rampage for Clovers against Gwalia Lightning at Energia Park
Both teams touched down five times in an enthralling encounter so the mathematics came down to 19-year-old Clovers outhalf Finn converting all of her team’s tries whereas Gwalia weren’t able to add the extras to their first two scores.
The visitors weren’t helped by the ball blowing off the tee as Cerys Hughes was about to take their first conversion attempt, but returning to Wales with two points was the least Gwalia deserved after an impressive performance.
They had taken the battle up front to a relatively inexperienced Clovers pack missing a few frontliners and it would be a major surprise if the women in blue don’t make the inaugural Celtic Challenge semi-finals at the end of this campaign.
Although the two Irish sides dominated last season’s competition, Gwalia were undoubtedly best of the rest as evidenced by them achieving home and away wins over Welsh rivals Brython Thunder and both Scottish teams.
They came agonisingly close to taking a major scalp in Cork at the start of February when Wolfhounds only hung on to win thanks to a combination of Claire Boles, Molly Boyne and Aoife Dalton holding Gwalia up over the tryline with the clock red at the end.
Denying Wolfhounds a bonus point that day would likely have cost Neill Alcorn’s women the title but for Clovers having to settle for a share of the spoils when their away game against Glasgow Warriors fell foul of the weather.
Lightning threatened to strike here too, including going in front with tries either side of half-time and then when a late seven-pointer left Gwalia within an unconverted try of snatching a landmark away win.
However, star Ireland winger Beibhinn Parsons, making the first Celtic Challenge appearance of her career, regathered the Clovers restart and Gwalia were content to kick to touch from a lineout deep in their own 22 to trigger the final whistle.
Both Player of the Match McGrath, who was sporting a huge egg-size swelling on her forehead during the interviews after the game, and captain Emily Lane had come off just before that fifth Lightning try leaving Clovers short of established leaders right at the death.
Among the players missing for this opening game were last season’s skipper Enya Breen and another experienced international Amee-Leigh Costigan, who had filled in as captain during that campaign, with Ireland scrumhalf Lane leading the team in their absence.
International lock Ruth Campbell wasn’t togged out either while her regular Clovers second row partner last season, Ireland Under 20s captain of the past two summers, Jane Neill, isn’t part of Fogarty’s squad this time round due to injury.
Also absent at the weekend were the two young Connacht back rows who won their first caps for Ireland in August’s final World Cup warm-up match against Scotland, Ivana Kiripati – who made Scott Bemand’s squad for the tournament – and Ailish Quinn.
Munster’s interpro title-winning captain Maeve Og O’Leary and Connacht’s first-choice Ireland scrumhalf Aoibheann Reilly are with Wolfhounds this winter, while Ulster prop Sophie Barrett has gone back there after representing Clovers last season.
Flying wingers Hannah Clarke and Chisom Ugwueru weren’t included in this term’s Clovers squad due to long-term knee injuries, though Fogarty was still able to name a formidable back three for this first fixture.
Aoife Corey got the nod at fullback over World Cup panellist Maebh Deely, with the high-profile Parsons on the right wing and the leading try-scorer in last season’s interpros Alana McInerney wide on the left.
The post-World Cup retirement of experienced international Nicole Fowley has left Finn as the first-choice outhalf for Clovers, who fielded what must surely be one of the tallest 10-12-13 combos we’ve seen in Irish women’s rugby.
Debutant Niamh Murphy, who has caught the eye with her performances for the All Ireland League’s early-season pace-setters Galwegians, played inside centre next to international winger Anna McGann.
With Ireland loosehead Siobhan McCarthy starting on the bench, Sadhbh McGrath was joined in the initial front row by Ella Burns and debutant Emma Dunican, who started at hooker in the absence of World Cup squad member Beth Buttimer.
Lithe lock Aoibhe O’Flynn, who caught the eye with an energetic display, was joined in the boilerhouse by the versatile Jane Clohessy with Adams-Verling packing down in the middle of the back row between debutant Rosie Searle and utility forward Faith Oviawe.
There has been much talk about imbalance in squad strength in the Celtic Challenge due to more Welsh and Scottish internationals plying their trade in the English Premiership but both Clovers and Gwalia had four World Cup players in their respective starting line-ups here.
Again captained this season by their talismanic No 8 Bryonie King, Gwalia’s contingent of Welsh internationals was supplemented by two current GB sevens players in vice-captain Cat Richards at fullback and wing Courtney Greenway.
Clovers got off to the perfect start, Gwalia putting the ball out on the full when returning a kick from Finn, the hosts getting up to the opposition 22 and Clohessy slipping the ball nicely to a rampaging McGrath.
Having broken the initial attempted tackle by the opposition’s openside flanker, McGrath got up a sufficient head of steam to enable her to brutally bounce two backs close to the tryline and dive over beside the posts, with Finn converting.
McGrath caught the restart and produced several more punishing carries in the next few minutes which also featured a threatening half-break by McGann, a turnover won by Oviawe and a creative cross-kick by Finn.
But under-pressure Clovers were penalised at an ominous scrum and there was also a high tackle by McInerney before further threatening from the home team on the back of strong carries by Murphy and Clohessy.
Clovers kept probing and finally got their reward late in the first quarter, centre Murphy deemed to have kept control of the ball as she touched down wide on the left with Finn landing a great conversion from the more difficult side for a left-footed kicker.
A couple of penalties got Gwalia into the Clovers 22, where good forward pressure resulted in tighthead prop Evie Hill barging over for a try, though Hughes had to hastily attempt a drop-kick conversion after the ball toppled from the tee at the last moment.
There was some acrobatic fielding from McInerney and – given it hasn’t been a regular weapon for Irish scrumhalves – a welcome box-kick by Lane, who also showed her tenacity with the follow-up tackle.
However, Gwalia reduced the arrears just after the half hour mark when Greenway did well with her footwork to sneak through to the right corner for an unconverted try albeit the attempted tackles by both Finn and Clohessy could have been better.
McInerney leapt high on the touchline to bat down an attempted Gwalia touch-finder to Corey like a modern boundary fielder in cricket, but Lightning now had the bit between their teeth and a couple of penalties soon had them back down deep in the Clovers 22.
Being given a put-in on their own line looked like a reprieve for Clovers, but they were blown away at the ensuing scrum and Davies forced her way over to put Gwalia in front for half-time, with the successful conversion from Hughes taking their scoring sequence to 17 points.
The Clovers leadership had plenty to think about at the break, but they began brightly on the resumption, attacking down the left before a clean break by Finn was followed by another strong carry from McGrath, enabling teenager Adams-Verling to pick up and dive over.
She and Oviawe celebrated with a great chest-bump while Finn prepared to add the extras, but the Clovers lead proved short-lived as Parsons got isolated carrying in-field from the restart and the penalty led to a productive passage of pressure from Gwalia.
Full international McCarthy came on for Burns to shore up the Clovers scrum but Davies soon scored her second try – securing the team’s bonus-point – to put the visitors back in front, with Hughes converting to extend their advantage to three points on 47 minutes.
With McGrath in beast mode and Clohessy showing her soft hands again, Clovers secured their bonus-point and retook the lead late in the third quarter when Buncrana bulldozer Sadhbh ploughed over from a tapped penalty by her skipper Lane.
A fantastic carving break by Murphy which combined balanced running, confidence and pace put Clovers on the front foot but they then threw a pass into touch just before Clohessy hobbled off to be replaced by debutant Aoibheann McGrath.
Niamh Murphy was replaced by young Galwegians clubmate Siofra Hession early in the final quarter, with Finn switching to inside centre, but Clovers were grateful for a vital tackle by Parsons followed by good turnovers won by McInerney and Sadhbh McGrath.
The 18-year-old replacement hooker Uillian Eilian immediately nailed her first throw for Clovers and soon got a carry when Lane opted to take a tap after the Gwalia tackler didn’t roll away following a break by Oviawe.
Deely took over from McInerney on the left wing with Corey remaining at fullback and Clovers looked dangerous in the lead up to replacement Aoibheann McGrath plunging over an unguarded ruck for a 70th minute try.
Finn’s conversion put 11 points between the teams but Gwalia were far from done yet as they attacked constantly for a prolonged period – which included two vital tackles by the diminutive Lane – before finally breaching the Clovers line.
That try, with the clock showing 78:41, followed a triple departure for Fogarty’s team, replacement back row Caoimhe Murphy being sinbinned for a deliberate knock-on just before Sadhbh McGrath and Lane gave way to Lily Morris and Eve Prendergast.
Lock Tilly Vucaj got the try, with Hughes again adding the extras, but time was almost up and Fogarty was pleased afterwards with how his side had seen out the bonus-point win they came for albeit that aspects of the performance flagged up potential areas for improvement.
“We knew they’d come back at us. The first game, there will always be mistakes. I liked how we found a way to close it out. There’s lots of things to work on before facing Wolfhounds, but happy with the win and some good performances,” he told the BBC.
A big purpose of the Celtic Challenge is unearthing and developing players of potential and Clovers centre Niamh Murphy certainly made this most of a first opportunity to showcase her credentials at this elite level.
“Delighted, my first taste of senior (representative) rugby! I missed the interpros this season, so to play at this high standard of rugby is just really fun,” she told Celtic Challenge TV before reflecting on her debut try.
“Thank God I scored, I was terrified that I was going to knock it on after I called for it. I was thinking like ‘don’t do that!’ So yeah, a try is a try, but everyone worked hard to get us up there.
“I only put it over the line, whereas it was the forwards who hit up and it was when we were in our good shape. That makes just the scores come easy then when we play our shape,” she reflected.
CLOVERS: Aoife Corey; Beibhinn Parsons, Anna McGann, Niamh Murphy (Siofra Hession, 63), Alana McInerney (Meabh Deely, 68); Caitriona Finn, Emily Lane (capt; Eve Prendergast, 78); Ella Burns (Siobhan McCarthy, 45), Emma Dunican (Uillian Eilian, 66), Sadhbh McGrath (Lily Morris, 78), Aoibhe O’Flynn, Jane Clohessy (Aoibheann McGrath, 59), Rosie Searle (Caoimhe Murphy, 71), Faith Oviawe, Jemima Adams-Verling.
Young Ireland prop Sadhbh McGrath repeatedly made ground with her ferocious carries for Clovers
