King And Tuite Return As Wolfhounds Win First Derby Against Clovers

Erin King made her injury comeback as the Wolfhounds beat the Clovers 24-7 at Creggs RFC to return to the top of the Celtic Challenge table.

CELTIC CHALLENGE – ROUND 2:

Saturday, January 3 –

CLOVERS 7 WOLFHOUNDS 24, Creggs RFC
Scorers: Clovers: Try: Jemima Adams Verling; Con: Caitríona Finn
Wolfhounds: Tries: Aoife Dalton, Robyn O’Connor, Maggie Boylan, Eve Higgins; Cons: Dannah O’Brien 2
HT: Clovers 7 Wolfhounds 12

Ireland star King, who missed the 2025 Rugby World Cup, played for the first time since sustaining a significant knee injury against England last April when she tore some of the cartilage off the back of the patella tendon.

She got 20 minutes under her belt on her return, as did fellow international Fiona Tuite, as the Wolfhounds made it back-to-back bonus point wins with their class-laden back-line sharing out four tries.

Denis Fogarty’s Clovers side had some purple patches, particularly during the first half, but Maggie Boylan and Eve Higgins, who ran in a superb solo score from 40 metres out, struck during the final quarter for the reigning champions.

Wolfhounds captain Aoife Dalton (6 minutes) and Robyn O’Connor (37) both crossed to the left of the posts, before the Clovers hit back on the stroke of half-time with a converted try from Creggs RFC product Jemima Adams Verling.

That cut the Wolfhounds’ lead to 12-7, but that was as close as the Clovers could get. Neill Alcorn’s charges had too much firepower behind the scrum, with Aoibheann Reilly starring as the player-of-the-match for her astute playmaking and handful of pacy breaks.

Both teams made a lively start on Creggs’ 4G pitch, the Clovers setting the tone with an early scrum penalty and a break that had vice-captain Aoibhe O’Flynn on the charge from Caitríona Finn’s pop pass.

Number 8 King was soon involved in the Wolfhounds’ first attack, following up on scrum half Reilly’s smart run to evade two tackles. They soon moved lineout possession infield, and Dalton used Dannah O’Brien’s pass to shrug off both Finn and Emily Foley for the opening try.

Following O’Brien’s conversion, Higgins was prominent as the Wolfhounds built more phases past halfway. However, Siobhán McCarthy continued to have an impact in the scrum for the Clovers, helping them to win another penalty.

Last season’s runners-up had some work to do on their lineout, but a brilliant jinking run from Foley, which came a few minutes later after a Niamh Murphy interception, had the Wolfhounds defence under some pressure.

Fogarty’s team agonisingly missed out on a levelling try by the end of the opening quarter. Faith Oviawe’s right foot grazed the endline after she had done the hard work in evading the clutches of both O’Brien and King. Murphy had released Anna McGann into space during the build-up.

The Clovers drew encouragement from some improved defence, which included a turnover penalty won by Aoife Corey, and a Jane Clohessy-won lineout that was well executed. However, when Adams Verling won a penalty at the breakdown, Finn slid her kick narrowly wide.

Again the Clovers had nothing to show for a promising spell, their close-in carries had them on course for a try until a frustrating knock-on on the ground. O’Connor punished them with a simple finish after Higgins and Flood had set her up.

The winger’s well-crafted effort left a dozen points in it, with Reilly’s rapid break having given the title holders the attacking momentum. Yet, the Clovers gave themselves a timely boost just before the interval.

McGann made sure she was first to an O’Brien crossfield kick that had bounced loose, leading to a late attacking push. Beth Buttimer threatened a couple of times – including from a maul – before her excellent offload out of a tackle sent the 19-year-old Adams Verling in behind the posts.

Ballinasloe native Reilly continued to catch the eye, making a surging break from deep soon after the restart. As more space began to open up, Béibhinn Parsons threatened at the other end, but play was called back for what referee Shane Tuohy deemed was a knock-on from Foley.

The Clovers crucially made a mess of a breakdown close to their own try-line, thwarting Linda Djougang following a powerful Dalton carry. Their forwards led a very good attacking charge, with Buttimer at the heart of it, until O’Connor swooped in for a turnover.

An intelligent kick from Flood had Foley covering across but conceding a lineout. The Wolfhounds maintained the field position, and Flood provided her second assist in the 64th minute when she sent Blackrock College’s Boylan scampering over in the left corner.

It was a vital score to give Alcorn’s outfit some breathing space at 17-7, and rewarded the forceful carrying of Djougang, the newly-introduced Tuite, and India Daley before that, as well as the game management of Reilly and O’Brien, who dropped the difficult conversion short.

Caoimhe Molloy and Clohessy traded turnover penalties as the breakdown continued to be hotly contested. Kate Jordan had pierced through into the Clovers 22 before that, and the Wolfhounds’ next visit produced their bonus point try.

It was a terrific solo run from Higgins, who glided in between Finn and Murphy and turned on the afterburners to stay clear of her chasers. O’Brien coolly split the posts from the right, opening up a decisive 17-point gap.

There was no way back for the Clovers, as their Irish rivals tightened the screw with a strong finish. The two teams are back in action next weekend, with the Wolfhounds visiting Edinburgh, and the Clovers bound for Cardiff to play Brython Thunder.

Tireless hooker Daley rampaged through into the Clovers 22, a subsequent maul was held up near the right corner, and a slight knock-on denied Katie Whelan who missed out on a fifth Wolfhounds try a close-in scrum.

The Clovers aso ended the game with 14 players due to replacement Lucia Linn’s late sin-binning. Her counter-attacking run from deep was brought back for a deliberate knock-on which saw referee Tuohy produce his yellow card.

TIME LINE: 6 minutes – Wolfhounds try: Aoife Dalton – 0-5; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 0-7; 30 mins – Clovers penalty: missed by Caitríona Finn – 0-7; 37 mins – Wolfhounds try: Robyn O’Connor – 0-12; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 0-12; 40+2 mins – Clovers try: Jemima Adams Verling – 5-12; conversion: Caitríona Finn – 7-12; Half-time – Clovers 7 Wolfhounds 12; 64 mins – Wolfhounds try: Maggie Boylan – 7-17; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 7-17; 69 mins – Wolfhounds try: Eve Higgins – 7-22; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 7-24; 77 mins – Clovers yellow card: Lucia Linn; Full-time – Clovers 7 Wolfhounds 24

CLOVERS: Aoife Corey (Munster); Béibhinn Parsons (Connacht), Anna McGann (Connacht), Niamh Murphy (Leinster), Emily Foley (Connacht); Caitríona Finn (Munster), Emily Lane (Munster) (capt); Siobhán McCarthy (Munster), Beth Buttimer (Munster), Sadhbh McGrath (Ulster), Aoibhe O’Flynn (Munster), Jane Clohessy (Munster), Rosie Searle (Leinster), Faith Oviawe (Connacht), Jemima Adams Verling (Connacht).

Replacements: Emma Dunican (Munster), Orlaith Morrissy (Munster), Ella Burns (Connacht), Aoibheann McGrath (Munster), Caoimhe Murphy (Munster), Gráinne Moran (Connacht), Méabh Deely (Connacht), Lucia Linn (Munster).

WOLFHOUNDS: Stacey Flood (Leinster); Robyn O’Connor (Leinster), Aoife Dalton (Leinster) (capt), Eve Higgins (Leinster), Maggie Boylan (Munster); Dannah O’Brien (Leinster), Aoibheann Reilly (Connacht); Linda Djougang (Leinster), India Daley (Ulster), Sophie Barrett (Ulster), Naoise Smyth (Leinster), Kate Jordan (Leinster), Claire Boles (Ulster), Maeve Óg O’Leary (Munster), Erin King (Leinster).

Replacements: Maebh Clenaghan (Ulster), Cara McLean (Ulster), Caoimhe Molloy (Leinster), Fiona Tuite (Ulster), Poppy Garvey (Connacht), Moya Hill (Ulster), Katie Whelan (Leinster), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Leinster).

Referee: Shane Tuohy (IRFU)