Higgins Stars As Wolfhounds Maintain Table-Topping Form In Glasgow

Eve Higgins led the way with three tries and two assists as the table-topping Wolfhounds outgunned Glasgow Warriors 64-21 in the Celtic Challenge at Scotstoun Stadium. Watch the match back on irishrugby+.

CELTIC CHALLENGE – ROUND 6:

Saturday, February 1 –

GLASGOW WARRIORS 21 WOLFHOUNDS 64, Scotstoun Stadium
Scorers: Glasgow Warriors: Tries: Briar McNamara, Ceitidh Ainsworth, Emily Coubrough; Cons: Carla McDonald, Ceitidh Ainsworth 2
Wolfhounds: Tries: Leah Tarpey, Eve Higgins 3, Aoife Wafer, Linda Djougang, Brittany Hogan, Erin King, Katie Corrigan, Katie Whelan; Cons: Dannah O’Brien 7
HT: Glasgow Warriors 7 Wolfhounds 26

After falling behind to Briar McNamara’s opener, the Wolfhounds responded with tries from Leah Tarpey, Higgins, Aoife Wafer, and Linda Djougang, who enjoyed another 40-metre run-in, to lead 26-7 at half-time.

An entertaining second half produced eight more tries, although the sight of Stacey Flood hobbling off with an ankle injury was a cause for concern with the start of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations now seven weeks away.

Glasgow lifted themselves with two cracking efforts from Ceitidh Ainsworth and Emily Coubrough, but could only cut the deficit to 26 points briefly as the visitors’ clinical attack proved too much for them.

Player-of-the-match Higgins sliced through twice in brilliant fashion, Erin King surged in under the posts, and replacements Brittany Hogan, Katie Corrigan, and Kate Whelan also crossed to give the Wolfhounds their biggest ever points and try tallies.

Following today’s 10-try victory, Neill Alcorn’s side feature in a double header at Virgin Media Park next Sunday, facing Gwalia Lightning in a top of the table clash (kick-off 12.30pm – live on irishrugby+). Tickets are available to buy online here.

It took a while for the first half to catch fire in cold conditions, and the visitors were unable to profit from an early defence-slashing run from Flood. Glasgow gradually gained ground on the back of a turnover penalty won by Holland Bogan.

The Scottish outfit had Bogan to thank for holding up King soon after, as a superb Wolfhounds surge, which was started by King’s initial lineout steal, had Wafer and Djougang threatening to open the scoring.

However, with 13 minutes on the clock, Freya Walker was first to a Wolfhounds lineout that went loose, and her offload, together with one from Coubrough, sent McNamara charging through from 70 metres out, evading the clutches of Flood on her way in under the posts.

Carla McDonald converted her centre partner’s breathless breakaway score, but Alcorn’s charges were quick to respond. Flood and King led the charge initially, and off a scrum inside the opposition 22, Higgins slipped Tarpey in under the posts for Dannah O’Brien to convert.

Tullow native O’Brien’s classy left boot racked up 14 points across the afternoon, and regularly pinned Glasgow back with kicks out of hand. She provided the assist for Higgins’ 23rd-minute effort, a flat pass releasing the centre for a pacy 40-metre run-in.

14-7 became 21-7 on the half hour mark, a well-controlled maul driving Wafer over the whitewash after O’Brien had kicked them into the left corner. Wafer and King were also becoming more prominent at the breakdown, forcing turnovers and penalties.

Djougang then sealed the bonus point four minutes before the interval, ripping the ball away from Eilidh MacGilvray and taking off to score out wide on the right despite Carla McDonald’s tackle. That gave the table toppers a 19-point cushion at the turnaround.

Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton came on to make her Wolfhounds debut, replacing the injured Flood inside two minutes of the restart. The subsequent scrum gained momentum for fellow replacement Hogan to dot down, with O’Brien converting for a 33-7 scoreline.

Higgins added a quick-fire sixth try, racing clear following Ella Roberts and captain Claire Boles’ combined efforts to force a knock-on from Roma Fraser. O’Brien tagged on the extras from straight in front.

Glasgow cancelled out those seven points when teenage number 8 Coubrough’s excellent one-handed pass sent Ainsworth scampering over in impressive fashion. King replied in the 54th minute, darting in under the posts via O’Brien’s inviting pass back inside.

The Wolfhounds out-half converted and also added the extras after Higgins had used a dummy and a burst of acceleration to turn scrum possession into a slick solo try. The Paris 2024 Olympian beat four defenders to complete her hat-trick in style.

The Warriors raised hopes of a bonus point push when replacement Poppy Mellanby’s outstanding counter-attacking run was topped off by Coubrough’s fine finish from just inside the opposition half, as the two teenagers combined to devastating effect.

Ainsworth’s well-struck conversion saw the Scots creep closer at 54-19 down, but Corrigan and Whelan, who both played for Ireland at last week’s HSBC SVNS Perth event, added 10 more points to the Wolfhounds’ total by the end.

Replacement Kelly Burke secured possession following a blocked kick in the 73rd minute, and Corrigan used a Higgins pass, just outside the hosts’ 10-metre line, to get outside Sky Phimister and ground the ball despite the Glasgow full-back bringing her down before the try-line.

The Wolfhounds turned on the power at a final scrum and played with a penalty advantage. Hogan picked up and fed her Old Belvedere club-mate Whelan to scoot clear down the left wing and add her name to the scoresheet.

TIME LINE: 14 minutes – Glasgow Warriors try: Briar McNamara – 5-0; conversion: Carla McDonald – 7-0; 17 mins – Wolfhounds try: Leah Tarpey – 7-5; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 7-7; 23 mins – Wolfhounds try: Eve Higgins – 7-12; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 7-14; 30 mins – Wolfhounds try: Aoife Wafer – 7-19; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 7-21; 36 mins – Wolfhounds try: Linda Djougang – 7-26; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 7-26; Half-time – Glasgow Warriors 7 Wolfhounds 26; 43 mins – Wolfhounds try: Brittany Hogan – 7-31; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 7-33; 45 mins – Wolfhounds try: Eve Higgins – 7-38; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 7-40; 50 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Ceitidh Ainsworth – 12-40; conversion: Ceitidh Ainsworth – 14-40; 54 mins – Wolfhounds try: Erin King – 14-45; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 14-47; 62 mins – Wolfhounds try: Eve Higgins – 14-52; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 14-54; 67 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Emily Coubrough – 19-54; conversion: Ceitidh Ainsworth – 21-54; 73 mins – Wolfhounds try: Katie Corrigan – 21-59; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 21-59; 79 mins – Wolfhounds try: Katie Whelan – 21-64; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 21-64; Full-time – Glasgow Warriors 21 Wolfhounds 64

GLASGOW WARRIORS: Sky Phimister (Stirling County); Abi Evans (Stirling County), Briar McNamara (Watsonian FC), Carla McDonald (Hillhead Jordanhill), Roma Fraser (Hillhead Jordanhill); Ceitidh Ainsworth (Stirling County), Mairi McDonald (Exeter Chiefs); Ailie Tucker (Watsonian FC) (capt), Aicha Sutcliffe (Stirling County), Katie Lindsay (Corstorphine Cougars), Holland Bogan (Stirling County), Aisha Zameer (University of Strathclyde), Freya Walker (Watsonian FC), Eilidh MacGilvray (Highland RFC), Emily Coubrough (University of Edinburgh).

Replacements used: Poppy Mellanby (Biggar RFC) for McNamara (39 mins), Orla Proctor (Harlequins) for C McDonald (44), Megan Hyland (Garioch) for MacGilvray (53), Kate Yeomans (Hillhead Jordanhill) for Zameer (66), Mary Nelson (Watsonian FC) for M McDonald (68), Sophie Price (Hillhead Jordanhill) for Sutcliffe, Louise Downie (Ayr RFC) for Lindsay (both 75), Poppy Clarkson (Biggar RFC) for Tucker (79).

WOLFHOUNDS: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC); Ella Roberts (Wicklow RFC/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union), Leah Tarpey (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Amy Larn (Athy RFC); Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Jade Gaffney (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster); Niamh O’Dowd (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Maebh Clenaghan (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Cooke RFC/Ulster), Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Alma Atagamen (Balbriggan RFC), Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair (Blackrock College RFC), Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC/Ulster) (capt), Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC), Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster).

Replacements used: Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster) for Wafer, Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC) for Larn (both half-time), Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton (Old Belvedere RFC) for Flood (42 mins), Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster) for Djougang, Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster) for Atagamen (both 51), Katie Whelan (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) for Gaffney (55), Kelly Burke (Mullingar RFC/Leinster) for O’Dowd, Caoimhe Molloy (Wicklow RFC/Leinster) for King (both 61).

Referee: David Sutherland (SRU)