Wolfhounds Do Damage In First Half Against Improving Edinburgh
Neill Alcorn's Wolfhounds have won six matches in a row, pocketing five try-scoring bonus points in the process ©INPHO/Bryan Keane
Despite a strong fightback from Edinburgh, a five-try first half salvo proved enough for the Wolfhounds as they won 31-22 to stay two points clear at the top of the Celtic Challenge table. Watch the match back on irishrugby+.
CELTIC CHALLENGE – ROUND 8:
Saturday, February 22 –
EDINBURGH RUGBY 22 WOLFHOUNDS 31, Hive Stadium
Scorers: Edinburgh Rugby: Tries: Cieron Bell, Aila Ronald, Rhea Clarke, Hannah Walker; Con: Lucia Scott
Wolfhounds: Tries: Claire Boles, Erin King, Brittany Hogan, Linda Djougang, Amy Larn; Cons: Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton, Lauren Farrell McCabe 2
HT: Edinburgh Rugby 5 Wolfhounds 31
Backed by a strong wind, Neill Alcorn’s side took a 31-5 lead into half-time. Amy Larn’s excellent individual try came just before the interval, adding to earlier scores from captain Claire Boles, Erin King, Brittany Hogan, and Linda Djougang.
Player-of-the-match King continually got over the gain-line and was her usual high-energy self at the breakdown, but it was a much more even contest during the closing 40 minutes in the Scottish capital.
Edinburgh’s maul helped them add to Cieron Bell’s 15th-minute effort, and their hard work earned them a late bonus point courtesy of a 10th try of the campaign from skipper Hannah Walker, an uncapped member of Scotland’s Six Nations training squad.
Next Saturday’s penultimate round sees the Wolfhounds play third-placed Gwalia Lightning in Ystrad Mynach (kick-off 12pm) – with just four points between the sides in the standings – before a rematch with Edinburgh at Energia Park the following week.
Boles led by example at Hive Stadium with her third-minute opener. Full-back Larn twice countered from kicks before Wolfhounds debutant Molly Scuffil-McCabe set up Boles to absorb a tackle from Lisa Brown and make it over near the right corner.
The visitors soon exploited some space on the right side again, inching ever closer through Christy Haney and Hogan before a knock-on denied Katie Corrigan a try in the left corner.
With their maul gaining a penalty, the Wolfhounds were quickly back within try-scoring range. Playing with the advantage, King shrugged off two defenders and grounded the ball ahead of two more, giving Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton a straightforward conversion for 12-0.
Scrum half Clarke’s snappy break showed what Edinburgh could do, and with the wind carrying an O’Sullivan Sexton kick dead, the Scottish outfit used the set-piece possession wisely to create their opening try. The pacy Bell finished neatly from Brown’s well-timed pass.
Midway through the first half, Edinburgh were unable to profit from a strong Aila Ronald run and a scrum in a similar position. The Wolfhounds had some readjusting to do with O’Sullivan Sexton unfortunately picking up an injury when being tackled.
Versatile Suttonians and Ulster back Lauren Farrell McCabe slotted in at out-half, and narrowly missed out on a 27th-minute try when she was held up following some purposeful carrying from Djougang, Ní Chonchobhair, and King.
Nonetheless, from the resulting goal-line dropout, Scuffil-McCabe’s invitingly flat pass sent Hogan on a strong tackle-breaking run that notched her a try from 20 metres out. Farrell McCabe’s missed conversion left it 17-5.
The Wolfhounds were now back on the attack with more regularity, and some impressive offloading between Aoife Dalton, Boles, and Ní Chonchobhair had Leah Tarpey charging up into the opposition 22 before Edinburgh got the decision at the breakdown.
Alcorn’s side turned to their forward power, with King again prominent as a ball carrier, and experienced prop Djougang wrestled her way over the line, getting the grounding despite the presence of three defenders. Farrell McCabe converted the bonus point try.
Larn then struck just before half-time, fed by Corrigan some 65 metres out. She took off down the left touchline, beating Bell initially and then cutting inside Lucia Scott before touching down ahead of the chasing Bell. Farrell McCabe converted with the aid of the left hand post.
Into the second period, King continued to catch the eye with a bustling break up past halfway. Edinburgh’s defensive improvements made a difference, though, and successive penalties led to a well-driven maul that landed hooker Roland over the whitewash.
On the hour mark, Clarke reached over from the back of a ruck after the Edinburgh maul had caused problems for the Wolfhounds once more. Full-back Scott added the extras to close the gap further to 31-17.
Willed on by the vocal home support, Claire Cruikshank’s charges came up against some stubborn resistence from the Wolfhounds with Ní Chonchobhair and replacement Tricia Doyle both getting their hands on turnover ball.
Tarpey and Vicky Elmes Kinlan led a counter ruck for another turnover during the closing stages, but despite getting back on the front foot, a sixth try eluded the table toppers as King was held up, and then Boles was tackled into touch.
Edinburgh did pick up their fifth try-scoring bonus point of the competition, taking advantage of a yellow card for Ní Chonchobhair’s deliberate knock-on during a promising attack.
The Scottish forwards threatened from a maul before replacement Sarah Denholm led a quick transfer of possession across the back-line. Scott’s pinpoint skip pass put Walker over in the left corner for the last score of an entertaining clash.
TIME LINE: 3 minutes – Wolfhounds try: Claire Boles – 0-5; conversion: missed by Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton – 0-5; 9 mins – Wolfhounds try: Erin King – 0-10; conversion: Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton – 0-12; 15 mins – Edinburgh Rugby try: Cieron Bell – 5-12; conversion: missed by Lucia Scott – 5-12; 28 mins – Wolfhounds try: Brittany Hogan – 5-17; conversion: missed by Lauren Farrell McCabe – 5-17; 36 mins – Wolfhounds try: Linda Djougang – 5-22; conversion: Lauren Farrell McCabe – 5-24; 39 mins – Wolfhounds try: Amy Larn – 5-29; conversion: Lauren Farrell McCabe – 5-31; Half-time – Edinburgh Rugby 5 Wolfhounds 31; 53 mins – Edinburgh Rugby try: Aila Ronald – 10-31; conversion: missed by Lucia Scott – 10-31; 60 mins – Edinburgh Rugby try: Rhea Clarke – 15-31; conversion: Lucia Scott – 17-31; 78 mins – Wolfhounds yellow card: Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair; 79 mins – Edinburgh Rugby try: Hannah Walker – 22-31; conversion: missed by Lucia Scott – 22-31; Full-time – Edinburgh Rugby 22 Wolfhounds 31
EDINBURGH RUGBY: Lucia Scott (Gloucester-Hartpury); Cieron Bell (Loughborough Lightning), Lisa Brown (University of Edinburgh), Giselle Chicot (Watsonian FC), Hannah Walker (University of Edinburgh) (capt); 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), Samaanther Taganekurukuru (Stirling County), Charlotte Fosbeary (University of Edinburgh), Merryn Gunderson (Corstorphine Cougars).
Replacements used: Cat Moody (University of Edinburgh) for Fosbeary (half-time), Talei Tawake (Watsonian FC) for Wilson, Alex Stewart (Corstorphine Cougars) for Taganekurukuru (both 50 mins), Sarah Denholm (Trailfinders Women) for Brown (73). Not used: Karis Craig (Watsonian FC), Megan Riach (Garioch), Emily Love (Corstorphine Cougars), Ami Conchie (Watsonian FC).
WOLFHOUNDS: Amy Larn (Athy RFC); Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Leah Tarpey (Railway Union RFC/Leinster), Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere RFC); Ellie O’Sullivan Sexton (Old Belvedere RFC), Molly Scuffil-McCabe (Leinster); Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Maebh Clenaghan (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Cooke RFC/Ulster), Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Poppy Garvey (Railway Union RFC/Connacht), Clíodhna Ní Chonchobhair (Blackrock College RFC), Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC/Ulster) (capt), Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC), Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster).
Replacements used: Lauren Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC/Ulster) for O’Sullivan Sexton (24 mins), Ella Durkan (Blackrock College RFC/Ulster) for Dalton (half-time), Tricia Doyle (Railway Union RFC) for Djougang (50), Erin McConnell (Wicklow RFC) for Scuffil-McCabe (61), Ciara Short (Wicklow RFC) for Garvey (66), Kelly Burke (Mullingar RFC/Leinster) for Clenaghan, Sophie McAllister (Ballymena RFC) for Haney, Molly Boyne (Railway Union RFC/Leinster) for Hogan (all 73).
Referee: Sam O’Neil (SRU)