Doyle The Try-Scoring Star As Wolfhounds Complete Thunder Double

Wolfhounds winger Anna Doyle ran in a first-half hat-trick of tries, and added her fourth score after the break ©INPHO/Tom Maher
Anna Doyle’s quartet of tries propelled the Wolfhounds to a 57-5 bonus point win over Brython Thunder, as the reigning Celtic Challenge champions temporarily moved five points clear at the summit. Watch the match back on irishrugby+.
CELTIC CHALLENGE – ROUND 5:
Saturday, January 18 –
WOLFHOUNDS 57 BRYTHON THUNDER 5, UCD Bowl
Scorers: Wolfhounds: Tries: Aoife Dalton 3, Anna Doyle 4, Kelly Burke, Leah Tarpey; Cons: Dannah O’Brien 6
Brython Thunder: Try: Gabby Healan
HT: Wolfhounds 26 Brython Thunder 0
Following up on last week’s 48-0 victory in Llanelli, the Wolfhounds won this rescheduled return fixture with plenty to spare. Tullow product Doyle, a former Ireland Sevens international, marked her return to representative rugby in some style.
Aoife Dalton opened the scoring in the fourth minute at the UCD Bowl, and despite Hanna Marshall impressing for Brython Thunder, they fell 26-0 behind by the break as player-of-the-match Doyle raced over after 10, 21 and 33 minutes.
The flying winger was obviously eager to put a frustrating time out with a shoulder injury behind her. She finished with four scores, Dalton completed a hat-trick of her own, and replacements Kelly Burke and Leah Tarpey also touched down.
Their Welsh opponents may have been well beaten on the day, but there were strong performances from Marshall, captain Natalia John, and Jess Rogers. Centre Gabby Healan rewarded them with a late consolation try.
The Wolfhounds were quick to threaten as they attacked with pace off a Brython Thunder knock-on. Skipper Claire Boles was denied a try for a double movement, but a neat switch off play off a five-metre scrum set up centre Dalton to finish crisply out wide.
Ireland star Dannah O’Brien swept over a peach of a conversion from the left, and was then involved in holding up a dangerous Brython Thunder attack for a turnover. What followed was a tremendous team from deep inside their own 22.
The returning Aoife Wafer used the resulting scrum to storm up towards halfway, linking with Eve Higgins who sent the pacy Doyle away, fending off Marshall on her way to the line. O’Brien converted to put 14 points between the sides.
The visitors showed their ability to build phases, yet the Wolfhounds’ ball-carrying strength was evident as Erin King and Alma Atagamen began to make inroads. With a scrum the option from a penalty, Doyle was fed on the right and she finished expertly past two defenders.
ClÃodhna NÃ Chonchobhair’s well-won turnover penalty halted Thunder’s progress in response, while the Wolfhounds’ next attacking opportunities were spoiled by knock-ons. However, Doyle was deadly accurate just past the half hour mark.
Seren Singleton’s break off a scrum was swiftly shut down, leading to a textbook Boles turnover. The ball was moved across to the opposite wing, and Doyle, taking off from halfway, outpaced both Niamh Terry and Marshall to bag the bonus point score, which O’Brien converted.
Within two minutes of the restart, the Wolfhounds were over again through Dalton. Stacey Flood and Niamh O’Dowd made the initial incisions, and O’Brien’s well-timed pass allowed the Clara native to get past Marshall and double her tally.
Following her fourth successful conversion, out-half O’Brien provided another try assist just a few minutes later. The Wolfhounds pack set up the opportunity from a bulldozing scrum penalty, and the half-backs’ change of direction led to Doyle squeezing over in the corner.
Led by the ever-industrious Boles, the home forwards put pressure on at scrum time once more. Their reward was a 59th-minute maul opportunity near the left corner, and a well-executed drive ended with Ireland Under-20 hooker Burke crashing over.
A loose pass from Thunder replacement Poppy Hughes was then punished by Tarpey, whose fresh legs took her in under the posts for a well-taken intercept effort. O’Brien’s conversion chalked up the half-century.
Dalton tracked a Doyle burst down the right, getting a timely offload to coast clear for a 71st-minute try which O’Brien converted from close range. The winning margin could have been more in the end, but a promising break involving Brittany Hogan and King petered out.
There was still time for a late Brython rally, led by sparky scrum half Singleton and replacement Stella Orrin. They both gained good ground, before the former went quickly from a penalty and sent Healan powering over to the left of the posts.
TIME LINE: 4 minutes – Wolfhounds try: Aoife Dalton – 5-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 7-0; 10 mins – Wolfhounds try: Anna Doyle – 12-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 14-0; 21 mins – Wolfhounds try: Anna Doyle – 19-0; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 19-0; 33 mins – Wolfhounds try: Anna Doyle – 24-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 26-0; Half-time – Wolfhounds 26 Brython Thunder 0; 42 mins – Wolfhounds try: Aoife Dalton – 31-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 33-0; 48 mins – Wolfhounds try: Anna Doyle – 38-0; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 38-0; 59 mins – Wolfhounds try: Kelly Burke – 43-0; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 43-0; 61 mins – Wolfhounds try: Leah Tarpey – 48-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 50-0; 71 mins – Wolfhounds try: Aoife Dalton – 55-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 57-0; 80 mins – Brython Thunder try: Gabby Healan – 57-5; conversion: missed by Ellie Tromans – 57-5; Full-time – Wolfhounds 57 Brython Thunder 5
WOLFHOUNDS: Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC); Anna Doyle (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster), Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC), Ella Roberts (Wicklow RFC/Leinster); 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), Christy Haney (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster), Alma Atagamen (Balbriggan RFC), ClÃodhna NÃ Chonchobhair (Blackrock College RFC), Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC/Ulster) (capt), Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC), Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College RFC/Leinster).
Replacements used: Molly Boyne (Railway Union RFC/Leinster) for Wafer (34 mins), Caoimhe Molloy (Wicklow RFC/Leinster) for Haney (49), Kelly Burke (Mullingar RFC/Leinster) for Clenaghan, Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster) for Boles (both 52), Leah Tarpey (Railway Union RFC/Leinster) for Higgins, Poppy Garvey (Railway Union RFC/Connacht) for Atagamen, Rachael McIlroy (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Suttonians RFC/Ulster) for Gaffney (all 60), Sophie McAllister (Ballymena RFC) for O’Dowd (63).
BRYTHON THUNDER: Niamh Terry; Hannah Lane, Ellie Tromans, Gabby Healan, Eleanor Hing; Hanna Marshall, Seren Singleton; Lowri Williams, Evie Gill, Katie Carr, Robyn Davies, Natalia John (capt), Finley Jones, Lucy Isaac, Jess Rogers.
Replacements used: Amy Williams for Terry, Stella Orrin for L Williams, Poppy Hughes for Gill, Elan Jones for Carr (all 49 mins), Anna Stowell for Rogers (58), Ffion Davies for Hing, Kira Philpott for F Jones (both 62), Rogers for Isaac (63), Rhiannon Griffin for Marshall (75).
Referee: Oisin Quinn (IRFU)