Reilly Returns From Injury As Clovers Continue Free-Scoring Form

CELTIC CHALLENGE – ROUND 9:

Saturday, March 1 –

EDINBURGH RUGBY 18 CLOVERS 60, Hive Stadium
Scorers: Edinburgh Rugby: Tries: Hannah Walker, Hannah Ramsay, Giselle Chicot; Pen: Lucia Scott
Clovers: Tries: Emily Lane 2, Amee-Leigh Costigan, Shirley Bailey, Anna McGann 3, Enya Breen, Jemima Adams Verling, Saoirse Crowe; Cons: Nicole Fowley 4, Caitríona Finn
HT: Edinburgh Rugby 8 Clovers 36

Playing for the first time since her ACL tear at last summer’s HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Madrid, scrum half Reilly got 20 minutes under her belt as the Clovers took the Celtic Challenge title race to the final round.

Another Ireland dual international, Anna McGann, was the scorer-in-chief for Denis Fogarty’s charges, who trail the Wolfhounds by just two points at the top of the table.

McGann, who proved to be a menace on the wing, helped herself to a hat-trick of tries, scoring twice towards the end of the first half to establish a 36-8 interval lead.

Emily Lane (2), captain Amee-Leigh Costigan, and Shirley Bailey also touched down, and the second half haul from replacements Enya Breen and Saoirse Crowe, Jemima Adams Verling, and McGann rounded off a comprehensive away victory.

Although Hannah Ramsay and Giselle Chicot ran in final quarter scores, the Clovers were already home and hosed at that point. They finish the competition with next Saturday’s trip to Ystrad Mynach to play Gwalia Lightning (kick-off 12pm), while the Wolfhounds host Edinburgh.

Only 71 seconds had elapsed when Lane opened the scoring, as the Clovers quickly got into their rhythm. A big carry from Sophie Barrett set up the scrum half to scoot around the side of a ruck and dart in under the posts for Nicole Fowley to convert.

A Lucia Scott penalty got Edinburgh up and running, but the visitors kept the early momentum going. Costigan’s flat pass on halfway sent McGann breaking down the left with great intent, cutting inside and giving her supporting winger a straightforward finish.

As the Edinburgh defence came under further pressure, they lost scrum half Rhea Clarke to the sin bin for going offside near her own try-line. Ballincollig back rower Bailey, a prominent ball carrier, barged over just a few phases later.

Player-of-the-match Fowley, who pulled the strings very effectively at out-half, converted with the aid of the right hand post, extending the lead to 19-3.

It was the skilful Sligo native’s nicely-judged 50:22 kick that put her side in position for their bonus point try. Lane used the resulting maul to snipe over midway through the first half.

Clarke returned from the sin bin just as Edinburgh caused some damage with their own maul. It allowed them to get on the front foot and spin the ball wide for the dangerous Hannah Walker to evade Caitríona Finn and run in her 11th try of the season.

The home crowd showed their appreciation as the Clovers’ lead was reduced to 16 points (24-8), but the Irish outfit were swiftly back on the attack. Emily Gavin took advantage of a gap in the defence, piling through into the opposition 22.

Although a couple of knock-ons halted their progress, their persistence paid off when the half-backs twice moved the ball out to the right. Fowley initially connected with Costigan via a cross-field kick, and then Lane linked with Finn and Costigan to send McGann over in the corner.

The Athlone woman displayed fine finishing skills again just before half-time to make it back-to-back tries. Adams Verling did well to cover a Clarke kick, and Lane directed operations off quick ruck ball, forcing Edinburgh backwards.

A bulldozing carry from Barrett made a sizeable dent, before Fowley and Kate Flannery crisply fed McGann to step in off her left and get past Scott’s tackle attempt. Fowley followed up with a well-struck conversion, leaving 28 points between the teams.

Breen had a busy first few minutes on the pitch, registering the opening points of the second half. The half-time replacement was first to a loose Edinburgh lineout that went out the back, and then popped up a few phases later to score from Fowley’s inviting short pass.

The extras neatly clipped over by Fowley, the Clovers were now 43-8 to the good. Defences were on top for a period, and after the unfortunate Walker came off injured, Aoife Corey’s well-won turnover penalty put her team back on the attack.

Once back within try-scoring range, they made the possession count. Gavin cut infield off a lineout, passing back inside for Adams Verling to thunder over from 15 metres out. Costigan was the intended target, but the teenage flanker got in ahead of her and produded a pacy finish.

The Clovers skipper narrowly missed on scoring on the hour mark, as a Fowley cross-field kick bounced unfavourably for her. Sprung from the bench, Reilly’s first involvement was to charge down a Sarah Denholm kick, leading to a five-metre scrum for the Clovers.

The Clovers replacements made sure the pressure remained firmly on the Edinburgh defence. The newly-introduced Chisom Ugwueru and Beth Buttimer gobbled up the metres before young prop Crowe crashed over the whitewash, with support from Aoibhe O’Flynn.

Trailing 53-8, Edinburgh lifted the tempo only for Buttimer to bring down Scott short before Finn ripped possession back close to her own try-line. However, Denholm’s flat pass did put out-half Ramsay over in the left corner with 11 minutes remaining.

Intercepting a pass from Alex Stewart, McGann had the gas to run clear from halfway. Finn’s conversion took the Clovers to 60 points, before the Scots, lifted by a Stewart break, wrapped up the scoring when Chicot was set free by good hands from her centre partner Lisa Brown.

TIME LINE: 2 minutes – Clovers try: Emily Lane – 0-5; conversion: Nicole Fowley – 0-7; 4 mins – Edinburgh Rugby penalty: Lucia Scott – 3-7; 7 mins – Clovers try: Amee-Leigh Costigan – 3-12; conversion: missed by Nicole Fowley – 3-12; 13 mins – Edinburgh Rugby yellow card: Rhea Clarke; 14 mins – Clovers try: Shirley Bailey – 3-17; conversion: Nicole Fowley – 3-19; 21 mins – Clovers try: Emily Lane – 3-24; conversion: missed by Nicole Fowley – 3-24; 25 mins – Edinburgh Rugby try: Hannah Walker – 8-24; conversion: missed by Lucia Scott – 8-24; 33 mins – Clovers try: Anna McGann – 8-29; conversion: missed by Nicole Fowley – 8-29; 39 mins – Clovers try: Anna McGann – 8-34; conversion: Nicole Fowley – 8-36; Half-time – Edinburgh Rugby 8 Clovers 36; 44 mins – Clovers try: Enya Breen – 8-41; conversion: Nicole Fowley – 8-43; 56 mins – Clovers try: Jemima Adams Verling – 8-48; conversion: missed by Nicole Fowley – 8-48; 63 mins – Clovers try: Saoirse Crowe – 8-53; conversion: missed by Caitríona Finn – 8-53; 69 mins – Edinburgh Rugby try: Hannah Ramsay – 13-53; conversion: missed by Lucia Scott – 13-53; 76 mins – Clovers try: Anna McGann – 13-58; conversion: Caitríona Finn – 13-60; 80 mins – Edinburgh Rugby try: Giselle Chicot – 18-60; conversion: missed by Lucia Scott – 18-60; Full-time – Edinburgh Rugby 18 Clovers 60

EDINBURGH RUGBY: Lucia Scott (Gloucester-Hartpury); Cieron Bell (Loughborough Lightning), Lisa Brown (University of Edinburgh), Giselle Chicot (Watsonian FC), Hannah Walker (University of Edinburgh); Hannah Ramsay (University of Edinburgh), Rhea Clarke (University of Edinburgh); Alison Wilson (Heriot’s), Aila Ronald (University of Edinburgh), Molly Poolman (Watsonian FC), Adelle Ferrie (Corstorphine Cougars), Natasha Logan (University of Edinburgh), Cat Moody (University of Edinburgh), Alex Stewart (Corstorphine Cougars) (capt), Merryn Gunderson (Corstorphine Cougars).

Replacements used: Talei Tawake (Watsonian FC) for Wilson, Chloe Brown (Stirling County) for Poolman (both 46 mins), Karis Craig (Watsonian FC) for Moody, Sarah Denholm (Trailfinders Women) for Walker (both 53), Pip Benson (Corstorphine Cougars) for Clarke (68), Charlotte Russell (Watsonian FC) for Ronald, Faye Sutherland (Corstorphine Cougars) for Ferrie, Emily Love (Corstorphine Cougars) for Bell (all 70).

CLOVERS: Caitríona Finn (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster); Amee-Leigh Costigan (Railway Union RFC/Munster) (capt), Aoife Corey (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Kate Flannery (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster), Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC); Nicole Fowley (Galwegians RFC/Connacht), Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC); Grainne Burke (UL Bohemian RFC), Emily Gavin (Railway Union RFC/Connacht), Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen RFC/Railway Union RFC/Ulster), Ruth Campbell (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Aoibhe O’Flynn (UL Bohemian RFC), Jemima Adams Verling (Creggs RFC/Connacht), Faith Oviawe (Railway Union RFC/Connacht), Shirley Bailey (Ballincollig RFC).

Replacements used: Jane Neill (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster) for Campbell, Enya Breen (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) for Flannery (both half-time), Ailish Quinn (Galwegians RFC) for Bailey (55 mins), Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) for Gavin, Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht) for Lane (both 60), Saoirse Crowe (Shannon RFC/UL Bohemian RFC) for Burke, Ella Burns (Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Connacht) for Barrett, Chisom Ugwueru (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster) for Costigan (all 62).

Referee: Daniel Evans (SRU)