Wolfhounds full-back Stacey Flood tries to get past her Ireland international team-mate, Clovers captain Enya Breen, during the Celtic Challenge opener at Energia Park ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Stacey Flood scored a try and set up two others as the Wolfhounds began their Celtic Challenge title defence with a 33-7 bonus point win over the Clovers at Energia Park. A full match replay is available to watch on irishrugby+.
Sunday, December 22 –
WOLFHOUNDS 33 CLOVERS 7, Energia Park
Scorers: Wolfhounds: Tries: Amy Larn, Linda Djougang, Eve Higgins, Kelly Burke, Stacey Flood; Cons: Dannah O’Brien 4
Clovers: Try: Penalty try; Con: Pen try con
HT: Wolfhounds 14 Clovers 7
Dual international Flood starred in the reigning champions’ back-line, topping off her performance with a closing 72nd-minute try. Ireland prop Linda Djougang’s barnstorming first-half breakaway effort led her to the player-of-the-match honour.
In the first of two festive derbies, with the teams set to meet again at the UCD Bowl next Saturday (kick-off 12pm – tickets are available here), the Clovers were only seven points behind at half-time.
However, Neill Alcorn’s Wolfhounds, captained by Claire Boles from the back row, pulled clear to kick off the expanded 10-round competition in impressive fashion.
Coached by Denis Fogarty, the Clovers had the wind advantage but trailed 14-0 inside as many minutes. Ireland Sevens youngster Amy Larn surged over from the left wing, and Djougang’s subsequent score was also converted by Dannah O’Brien.
Marshalled by Deirbhile Nic a Bháird, the Clovers’ young pack earned a penalty try from a 20th-minute maul which also landed Wolfhounds number 8 Erin King in the sin bin.
Despite the likes of Edel McMahon and Amee-Leigh Costigan (formerly Murphy Crowe) coming off the Clovers’ bench, the Wolfhounds enjoyed a winning start thanks to further tries from Eve Higgins (43 minutes), replacement hooker Kelly Burke (67), and Flood.
Two of the Wolfhounds’ Paris Olympians combined for a terrific fourth-minute try, as classy full-back Flood broke two tackles and neatly fed Larn who darted home from 45 metres out. The Athy flyer stayed clear of Méabh Deely and cut inside Nicole Fowley to score.
Dannah O’Brien’s first conversion was quickly followed by positive Clovers play, their industrious forwards getting them within scoring range. They went desperately close when Ivana Kiripati was held up by Niamh O’Dowd and Higgins just to the right of the posts.
The Clovers had most of the territory during some scrappy phases, but were rocked by a stunning try from Djougang. She emerged with possession some 60 metres out, and handed off Enya Breen before showing impressive pace to make it over near the right corner.
Neither the chasing Breen or Chisom Ugwueru could reel in the experienced Ireland front rower, and O’Brien followed up with a fine conversion.
The Clovers did well to hit back swiftly, a powerful lineout drive forcing their penalty try with King seeing yellow for infringing close to the try-line. Nonetheless, Denis Fogarty’s charges could not make further inroads during King’s absence.
Out-half Fowley went close to connecting with Ugwueru via a cross-field kick, the ball just evading the winger’s grasp. Their combativeness around the breakdown was also forcing handling errors from the title holders.
On the back of a Boles turnover, strong running from Higgins, Vicky Elmes Kinlan, and King saw the Wolfhounds build some promising phases, getting back past halfway. Nonetheless, the Clovers made sure they did not reach their 22.
This fiercely-contested derby continued to open up approaching the interval, with loosehead O’Dowd adding another purposeful break from the Wolfhounds’ front row trio. Balbriggan teenager Alma Atagamen also gave a glimpse of her power with a rampaging late carry.
Frustratingly for the Clovers, they conceded early in the second half. A Fowley chip kick down the left failed to work out, with Flood gathering it on the bounce. She evaded Jemima Adams Verling and timed her inside pass perfectly to send Higgins over from 35 metres out.
O’Brien maintained her 100% record from the tee to make it 21-7, and it took some muscular maul defence from the Clovers, and Ruth Campbell in particular, to avoid leaking a subsequent score.
Reinforcements were sent for by the Clovers management, including McMahon, who captained Ireland to that famous WXV1 win over New Zealand. Notably, the Wolfhounds had some lineout issues to iron out, with the Clovers able to regularly apply pressure in the air.
Ireland Sevens captain Costigan made an immediate impact off the Clovers bench, gobbling up the metres when running back a kick. Nic a Bháird broke a couple of tackles, and replacement Faith Oviawe also carried well, but they could not get within striking distance.
In response, King, the World Rugby Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year, tore out of a couple of tackles to raid downfield. Aoife Dalton was up in support, and the Wolfhounds made the most of their next maul opportunity when Mullingar native Burke rumbled over on her Celtic Challenge debut.
O’Brien was pinpoint accurate with the extras again, and the Wolfhounds kept their foot on the gas. Second row Atagamen made an incision inside the opposition 22, and an overlap on the left saw the newly-introduced Megan Burns release Flood for the whitewash.
The Clovers had enough time to claw back a late try, with their reliable lineout providing the launchpad. A maul turnover added to their frustration though, along with a tackle off the ball from Kiripati, but both sides left with plenty to build on heading into round 2.
TIME LINE: 4 minutes – Wolfhounds try: Amy Larn – 5-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 7-0; 14 mins – Wolfhounds try: Linda Djougang – 12-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 14-0; 20 mins – Clovers try: Penalty try & conversion – 14-7; Wolfhounds yellow card: Erin King; Half-time – Wolfhounds 14 Clovers 7; 43 mins – Wolfhounds try: Eve Higgins – 19-7; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 21-7; 67 mins – Wolfhounds try: Kelly Burke – 26-7; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 28-7; 72 mins – Wolfhounds try: Stacey Flood – 33-7; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 33-7; Full-time – Wolfhounds 33 Clovers 7
WOLFHOUNDS: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC); Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC), Amy Larn (Athy RFC); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster); Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Maebh Clenaghan (Queen’s University RFC/Cooke RFC/Ulster), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Alma Atagamen (Balbriggan RFC), Poppy Garvey (Railway Union RFC/Connacht), Molly Boyne (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC/Ulster) (capt), Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC).
Replacements used: Kelly Burke (Mullingar RFC/Leinster) for Clenaghan (55 mins), Erin McConnell (Wicklow RFC) for Whelan, Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC) for Elmes Kinlan (both 61), Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC) for Higgins (67), Ciara Short (Wicklow RFC) for Boyne, Caoimhe Molloy (Wicklow RFC/Leinster) for Djougang, Cliodhna Ni Chonchobhair (Blackrock College RFC) for Garvey, Tricia Doyle (Railway Union RFC) for O’Dowd (all 71).
CLOVERS: Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht); Hannah Clarke (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Ellen Boylan (Blackrock College RFC/Munster), Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster) (capt), Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemian/Munster); Nicole Fowley (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC); Siobhán McCarthy (Railway Union RFC/Munster), Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen RFC/Railway Union RFC/Ulster), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Jane Neill (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Jemima Adams Verling (Creggs RFC), Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster), Ivana Kiripati (Creggs RFC/Connacht).
Replacements used: Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster) for Barrett, Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht) for Adams Verling (both 47 mins), Faith Oviawe (Railway Union RFC/Connacht) for Neill, Amee-Leigh Costigan (Railway Union RFC/Munster) for Ugwueru (both 61), Grainne Burke (UL Bohemian RFC) for McCarthy (68), Caitríona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) for Fowley (71). Not used: Saoirse Crowe (Shannon RFC/UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Grainne Moran (Galwegians RFC/Connacht).
Referee: Paul Haycock (IRFU)
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