O’Brien And Walker Lead The Way At Top Of Celtic Challenge’s Scoring Charts
Ireland international Dannah O'Brien is pictured in action for the Wolfhounds against the Clovers at the UCD Bowl in December ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Wolfhounds out-half Dannah O’Brien (54 points) and Edinburgh winger Hannah Walker (10 tries) continue to set the pace as the Celtic Challenge’s leading points scorer and top try scorer respectively.
Ireland star O’Brien has landed 27 successful place-kicks for the Wolfhounds during their bid for back-to-back Celtic Challenge titles, which continues on Saturday when they play third-placed Gwalia Lightning in Ystrad Mynach (kick-off 12pm – live on irishrugby+).
The Tullow youngster, who sat out last week’s win in Edinburgh, is closely followed by Glasgow Warriors’ goal-kicking centre Briar McNamara (52 points) and Gwalia number 10 Carys Hughes (50).
Neill Alcorn’s Wolfhounds side hold a two-point lead at the top of the table heading into the penultimate round. Their Irish rivals, the Clovers, are their closest challengers, followed by Gwalia who are just four points off the summit.
The in-form Walker ran in her 10th try of the campaign in that home defeat to the Wolfhounds. She is one of nine uncapped players included in Scotland’s training squad ahead of the upcoming Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
A number of Ireland’s international contingent have also impressed in attack, with Amee-Leigh Costigan, who captained the Clovers to a record-breaking 94-7 victory over Brython Thunder last weekend, bagging a brace of tries in Llanelli to take her overall haul to seven.
Coached by Ireland Women’s scrum coach Denis Fogarty, the Clovers will take on Edinburgh at Hive Stadium on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 1pm – live on irishrugby+).
Costigan’s seven-try tally is matched by Edinburgh’s Cieron Bell, and McNamara and Eve Higgins have touched down six times each so far. They are one ahead of Higgins’ Ireland team-mates, Anna McGann and Katie Corrigan.
Corrigan, the 19-year-old from Donard, County Wicklow, was one of the big success stories of last season’s Celtic Challenge. She scored a dozen tries as the Wolfhounds were crowned champions, before making her Ireland debut and notching three tries in five Six Nations appearances.
CELTIC CHALLENGE TOP SCORERS AFTER ROUND 8:
POINTS –
54 – Dannah O’Brien (Wolfhounds)
52 – Briar McNamara (Glasgow Warriors)
50 – Carys Hughes (Gwalia Lightning), Hannah Walker (Edinburgh Rugby)
38 – Nicole Fowley (Clovers)
35 – Amee-Leigh Costigan (Clovers), Cieron Bell (Edinburgh Rugby)
33 – Lucy MacRae (Edinburgh Rugby)
30 – Eve Higgins (Wolfhounds)
25 – Anna McGann (Clovers), Katie Corrigan (Wolfhounds)
20 – Aila Roland (Edinburgh Rugby), Anna Doyle (Wolfhounds), Aoife Dalton (Wolfhounds), Beth Buttimer (Clovers), Emily Lane (Clovers), Erin King (Wolfhounds), Hannah Bluck (Brython Thunder), Linda Djougang (Wolfhounds)
16 – Sian Jones (Gwalia Lightning)
15 – Amy Larn (Wolfhounds), Courtney Greenway (Gwalia Lightning), Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Clovers), Jane Clohessy (Clovers), Lily Terry (Gwalia Lightning), Maisie Davies (Gwalia Lightning), Sophie Barrett (Clovers)
14 – Lucia Scott (Edinburgh Rugby)
10 – Alaw Pyrs (Gwalia Lightning), Brittany Hogan (Wolfhounds), Bryonie King (Gwalia Lightning), Caitlin Lewis (Gwalia Lightning), Chisom Ugwueru (Clovers), Chloe Gant (Brython Thunder), Claire Boles (Wolfhounds), Eleanor Hing (Brython Thunder), Emily Gavin (Clovers), Faith Oviawe (Clovers), Gemma Bell (Glasgow Warriors), Gwennan Hopkins (Gwalia Lightning), Hannah Clarke (Clovers), Jane Neill (Clovers), Kate Yeomans (Glasgow Warriors), Katie Whelan (Wolfhounds), Kelly Burke (Wolfhounds), Leah Tarpey (Wolfhounds), Maebh Clenaghan (Wolfhounds), Merryn Gunderson (Edinburgh Rugby), Seren Singleton (Brython Thunder), Shona Campbell (Edinburgh Rugby), Sky Phimister (Glasgow Warriors)
9 – Ceitidh Ainsworth (Glasgow Warriors)
8 – Caitríona Finn (Clovers), Hanna Marshall (Brython Thunder)
7 – Stacey Flood (Wolfhounds)
5 – Abi Evans (Glasgow Warriors), Ailie Tucker (Glasgow Warriors), Aisha Zameer (Glasgow Warriors), Alana McInerney (Clovers), Alma Atagamen (Wolfhounds), Ami Conchie (Edinburgh Rugby), Aoife Wafer (Wolfhounds), Brianna Heylmann (Clovers), Catherine Richards (Gwalia Lightning), Catrin Jones (Brython Thunder), Ella Roberts (Wolfhounds), Emily Coubrough (Glasgow Warriors), Emily Norval (Glasgow Warriors), Enya Breen (Clovers), Erinn Foley (Glasgow Warriors), Evie Gill (Brython Thunder), Faye Sutherland (Edinburgh Rugby), Gabby Healan (Brython Thunder), Grainne Burke (Clovers), Grainne Moran (Clovers), Hannah McMahon (Edinburgh Rugby), Holland Bogan (Glasgow Warriors), Ivana Kiripati (Clovers), Jemima Adams Verling (Clovers), Jenny Hesketh (Gwalia Lightning), Katie Heffernan (Wolfhounds), Kelsie Webster (Gwalia Lightning), Lauryn Walter (Edinburgh Rugby), Lisa Martin (Glasgow Warriors), Mairi McDonald (Glasgow Warriors), Méabh Deely (Clovers), Molly Anderson-Thomas (Gwalia Lightning), Molly Boyne (Wolfhounds), Molly Reardon (Gwalia Lightning), Molly Wakely (Gwalia Lightning), Natalia John (Brython Thunder), Niamh O’Dowd (Wolfhounds), Page Jones (Gwalia Lightning), Rhea Clarke (Edinburgh Rugby), Rhodd Parry (Gwalia Lightning), Robyn Davies (Brython Thunder), Roma Fraser (Glasgow Warriors), Samaanther Taganekurukuru (Edinburgh Rugby), Saoirse Crowe (Clovers), Tara Tanake (Edinburgh Rugby), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wolfhounds)
4 – Ellie Tromans (Brython Thunder), Lauren Farrell McCabe (Wolfhounds)
2 – Carla McDonald (Glasgow Warriors), Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton (Wolfhounds)
TRIES –
10 – Hannah Walker (Edinburgh Rugby)
7 – Amee-Leigh Costigan (Clovers), Cieron Bell (Edinburgh Rugby)
6 – Briar McNamara (Glasgow Warriors), Eve Higgins (Wolfhounds)
5 – Anna McGann (Clovers), Katie Corrigan (Wolfhounds)
4 – Aila Roland (Edinburgh Rugby), Anna Doyle (Wolfhounds), Aoife Dalton (Wolfhounds), Beth Buttimer (Clovers), Emily Lane (Clovers), Erin King (Wolfhounds), Hannah Bluck (Brython Thunder), Linda Djougang (Wolfhounds)
3 – Amy Larn (Wolfhounds), Courtney Greenway (Gwalia Lightning), Deirbhile Nic a Bháird (Clovers), Jane Clohessy (Clovers), Lily Terry (Gwalia Lightning), Maisie Davies (Gwalia Lightning), Sophie Barrett (Clovers)
2 – Alaw Pyrs (Gwalia Lightning), Brittany Hogan (Wolfhounds), Bryonie King (Gwalia Lightning), Caitlin Lewis (Gwalia Lightning), Chisom Ugwueru (Clovers), Chloe Gant (Brython Thunder), Claire Boles (Wolfhounds), Eleanor Hing (Brython Thunder), Emily Gavin (Clovers), Faith Oviawe (Clovers), Gemma Bell (Glasgow Warriors), Gwennan Hopkins (Gwalia Lightning), Hannah Clarke (Clovers), Jane Neill (Clovers), Kate Yeomans (Glasgow Warriors), Katie Whelan (Wolfhounds), Kelly Burke (Wolfhounds), Leah Tarpey (Wolfhounds), Lucia Scott (Edinburgh Rugby), Maebh Clenaghan (Wolfhounds), Merryn Gunderson (Edinburgh Rugby), Seren Singleton (Brython Thunder), Shona Campbell (Edinburgh Rugby), Sian Jones (Gwalia Lightning), Sky Phimister (Glasgow Warriors)
1 – Abi Evans (Glasgow Warriors), Ailie Tucker (Glasgow Warriors), Aisha Zameer (Glasgow Warriors), Alana McInerney (Clovers), Alma Atagamen (Wolfhounds), Ami Conchie (Edinburgh Rugby), Aoife Wafer (Wolfhounds), Brianna Heylmann (Clovers), Carys Hughes (Gwalia Lightning), Catherine Richards (Gwalia Lightning), Catrin Jones (Brython Thunder), Ceitidh Ainsworth (Glasgow Warriors), Ella Roberts (Wolfhounds), Emily Coubrough (Glasgow Warriors), Emily Norval (Glasgow Warriors), Enya Breen (Clovers), Erinn Foley (Glasgow Warriors), Evie Gill (Brython Thunder), Faye Sutherland (Edinburgh Rugby), Gabby Healan (Brython Thunder), Grainne Burke (Clovers), Grainne Moran (Clovers), Hannah McMahon (Edinburgh Rugby), Holland Bogan (Glasgow Warriors), Ivana Kiripati (Clovers), Jemima Adams Verling (Clovers), Jenny Hesketh (Gwalia Lightning), Katie Heffernan (Wolfhounds), Kelsie Webster (Gwalia Lightning), Lauryn Walter (Edinburgh Rugby), Lucy MacRae (Edinburgh Rugby), Mairi McDonald (Glasgow Warriors), Méabh Deely (Clovers), Molly Anderson-Thomas (Gwalia Lightning), Molly Boyne (Wolfhounds), Molly Reardon (Gwalia Lightning), Molly Wakely (Gwalia Lightning), Natalia John (Brython Thunder), Niamh O’Dowd (Wolfhounds), Page Jones (Gwalia Lightning), Rhea Clarke (Edinburgh Rugby), Rhodd Parry (Gwalia Lightning), Robyn Davies (Brython Thunder), Roma Fraser (Glasgow Warriors), Samaanther Taganekurukuru (Edinburgh Rugby), Saoirse Crowe (Clovers), Stacey Flood (Wolfhounds), Tara Tanake (Edinburgh Rugby), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wolfhounds)