Lane Scores Twice As Clovers Bag Maximum Points In Belfast
Ireland 15s and Sevens scrum half Emily Lane breaks through to score the Clovers' opening try against Gwalia Lightning ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
Emily Lane helped herself to two tries as the Clovers followed up on last week’s derby win over the Wolfhounds with a 29-7 bonus point dismissal of Gwalia Lightning at Kingspan Stadium. Watch the full match back on irishrugby+.
CELTIC CHALLENGE – ROUND 3:
Saturday, January 4 –
CLOVERS 29 GWALIA LIGHTNING 7, Kingspan Stadium
Scorers: Clovers: Tries: Emily Lane 2, Alana McInerney, Hannah Clarke, Sophie Barrett; Cons: Nicole Fowley, CaitrÃona Finn
Gwalia Lightning: Try: Molly Reardon; Con: Carys Hughes
HT: Clovers 17 Gwalia Lightning 0
The Welsh team had started this season’s Celtic Challenge with a brace of derby victories, but player-of-the-match Lane and wingers Alana McInerney and Hannah Clarke all touched down to establish a 17-0 half-time lead.
Despite Wales hooker Molly Reardon’s 50th-minute score getting Gwalia Lightning off the mark, Denis Fogarty’s charges quickly responded through Lane before Ulster prop Sophie Barrett made it a five-try triumph.
Notably, Ireland dual international Anna McGann, the only change to the Clovers’ starting XV, impressed as a ball carrier and an attacking threat during the first half, providing the assist for McInerney’s effort midway through.
The Clovers have a crunch clash next Saturday, entertaining early leaders Edinburgh at Virgin Media Park (kick-off 3pm). Tickets are available to buy online here. The two Irish sides are locked level on 10 points with Edinburgh, who have played one game less.
Sadhbh McGrath drove Wales cap Maisie Davies backwards to gain an opening scrum penalty, with Gwalia Lightning targeting the breakdown in response. McGann soon broke up the kicking battle with a fine break from deep.
McInerney did well to retain possession for the Clovers, and after some forward carries, Lane slipped clean through from a ruck. She had the speed and strength to score from 30 metres out, and Nicole Fowley slotted over the conversion just to the left of the posts.
Fowley also kicked well out of hand, sending the visitors back towards halfway after Katie Bevans had stabbed a dangerous kick through initially. Gwalia were warming to their task in bitterly cold but dry conditions.
Nonetheless, the Clovers closed out the opening quarter with a second try. Countering to very good effect from a Carys Hughes kick, McInerney and captain Enya Breen led the charge before McGann’s neat offload back inside put McInerney crashing over in the right corner.
The experienced Edel McMahon increased her influence defensively for the hosts. She was a central figure in bringing down a threatening Gwalia maul for turnover ball, and she soon popped up to catch Caitlin Lewis with a big tackle back near halfway.
On the half hour mark, the Clovers capitalised on another Gwalia error. They coughed up possession in midfield, allowing Siobhán McCarthy and McGann to make incisive runs, and Ruth Campbell fed Clarke to step inside Lewis and race over from the left wing.
With pressure put on the Gwalia lineout, coupled with a well-won scrum penalty, the Clovers went in search of a bonus point score just before the interval. Their best opportunity came when McMahon broke off a maul but Gwalia captain Gwennan Hopkins forced a knock-on.
Catrina Nicholas-McLaughlin’s half-time words resulted in the Lightning outfit raising their game. Their forwards made good inroads, although they remained scoreless with Campbell turning over another maul and Hughes missing a penalty effort.
Their persistence paid off a few minutes later, as a scrum penalty put them in range before hooker Reardon plunged over to finish off some more good work from their pack. Out-half Hughes converted to leave 10 points in it.
The Clovers shut the door on that comeback bid though, using another turnover to lift the tempo. The newly-introduced Amee-Leigh Costigan was twice involved in a pacy attack, as was Ulster’s own McGrath, and it led to Lane sniping over to take care of the bonus point at 22-7.
Despite Courtney Greenway earning a penalty at the breakdown, the Clovers continued to find gaps when countering from kicks. McGann cleverly release McInerney down the right, and a few minutes later, replacement Barrett pounced to score after Lane had been held up.
CaitrÃona Finn’s well-struck conversion proved to be the final scoring act, as the closing quarter was rather stop-start. The Clovers’ sharp defence continued to frustrate Lightning, along with Campbell stealing a lineout and Ivana Kiripati making some leg-pumping runs.
Gwalia did have their moments, with the industrious Reardon charging down a Finn kick, and their reinforced scrum winning a penalty. It was the Clovers who went closest to scoring late on, with McInerney narrowly denied on the right wing on two occasions.
TIME LINE: 7 minutes – Clovers try: Emily Lane – 5-0; conversion: Nicole Fowley – 7-0; 19 mins – Clovers try: Alana McInerney – 12-0; conversion: missed by Nicole Fowley – 12-0; 29 mins – Clovers try: Hannah Clarke – 17-0; conversion: missed by Nicole Fowley – 17-0; Half-time – Clovers 17 Gwalia Lightning 0; 47 mins – Gwalia Lightning penalty: missed by Carys Hughes – 17-0; 50 mins – Gwalia Lightning try: Molly Reardon – 17-5; conversion: Carys Hughes – 17-7; 53 mins – Clovers try: Emily Lane – 22-7; conversion: missed by CaitrÃona Finn – 22-7; 59 mins – Clovers try: Sophie Barrett – 27-7; conversion: CaitrÃona Finn – 29-7; Full-time – Clovers 29 Gwalia Lightning 7
CLOVERS: Méabh Deely (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht); Alana McInerney (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC), Enya Breen (Blackrock College RFC/Munster) (capt), Hannah Clarke (Galwegians RFC/Connacht); Nicole Fowley (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC/Munster); Siobhán McCarthy (Railway Union RFC/Munster), Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Jane Neill (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Edel McMahon (Exeter Chiefs/Connacht), Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Old Belvedere RFC/Munster), Ivana Kiripati (Creggs RFC/Connacht).
Replacements used: CaitrÃona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) for Fowley, Jemima Adams Verling (Creggs RFC/Connacht) for McMahon (half-time), Amee-Leigh Costigan (Railway Union RFC/Munster) for Deely (48 mins), Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen RFC/Railway Union RFC/Ulster) for McCarthy (54), Emily Gavin (Railway Union RFC/Connacht) for Buttimer, Grainne Burke (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) for McGrath, Faith Oviawe (Railway Union RFC/Connacht) for Neill (all 65), Grainne Moran (Galwegians RFC/Connacht) for Lane (72).
GWALIA LIGHTNING: Courtney Greenway; Caitlin Lewis, Carys Williams-Morris, Molly Anderson-Thomas, Lowri Davies; Carys Hughes, Katie Bevans; Maisie Davies, Molly Reardon, Jenni Scoble, Lily Terry, Alaw Pyrs, Katherine Baverstock, Paige Jones, Gwennan Hopkins (capt).
Replacements used: Seren Lockwoods for Bevans, Dali Hopkins for M Davies (54 mins), Erin Jones for Terry (61), Mollie Wakely for Reardon, Danyelle Dinapoli for Scoble, Nia Grundy for L Davies (all 69), Nia Fajeyisan for Williams-Morris (75), Lottie Buffery-Latham for Hopkins (79).
Referee: Christopher Lough (IRFU)