Nine-Try Clovers Win High-Scoring Encounter With Glasgow

The Clovers put some distance between themselves and Glasgow Warriors in the Celtic Challenge standings, following an action-packed 57-31 win over the Scottish side at Affidea Stadium.

CELTIC CHALLENGE – ROUND 4:

Sunday, January 18 –

CLOVERS 57 GLASGOW WARRIORS 31, Affidea Stadium
Scorers: Clovers: Tries: Alana McInerney 2, Caitríona Finn, Anna McGann, Sadhbh McGrath, Niamh Murphy, Katie Whelan, Aoibheann McGrath, Aoife Corey; Cons: Caitríona Finn 6
Glasgow Warriors: Tries: Briar McNamara, Nicole Flynn 2, Emily Coubrough, Holland Bogan; Cons: Ceitidh Ainsworth 3
HT: Clovers 24 Glasgow Warriors 19

A few days on from her involvement in the Ireland training camp, Caitríona Finn contributed 17 points in a player-of-the-match performance, while Ulster’s own Sadhbh McGrath claimed her third try of the tournament.

Despite falling behind early on, the Clovers looked to have taken control when moving into a 17-point lead just past the half-hour mark. Alana McInerney touched down twice, and Finn and Anna McGann also crossed the whitewash.

Glasgow Warriors rallied impressively, though, as tries from Nicole Flynn, who had earlier been sin-binned, and Emily Coubrough closed the gap to 24-19. Briar McNamara had claimed their opportunist ninth-minute opener.

The Clovers unfortunately had to play on without Ireland international Jane Clohessy, who injured her wrist in a tackle. Three unanswered tries effectively settled the issue, as McGrath, Niamh Murphy, and Katie Whelan made it 45-19 with 15 minutes remaining.

It was tit-for-tat down the final stretch, as Glasgow bagged a bonus point from their visit to Belfast. Although Holland Bogan and Flynn both scored late on, the Clovers finished as nine-try winners thanks to further efforts from Aoibheann McGrath and Aoife Corey.

The result means there is now a seven-point gap between the Clovers, in third place, and Glasgow below them. Denis Fogarty’s charges have a rematch with Brython Thunder at Virgin Media Park next Sunday (kick-off 12pm).

Glasgow came under early pressure due to Flynn going too high when tackling the onrushing Finn. Solid maul defence earned them turnover ball, and an eye-catching break by number 8 Coubrough brought them downfield.

In Flynn’s absence, her centre partner McNamara struck for the opening try. She put boot to ball after an Emily Lane pass had gone loose outside the hosts’ 22, and was first to touch it down just to the right of the posts. Ceitidh Ainsworth converted.

However, the Clovers quickly shaved the deficit down to two points. There was strong running from Murphy, Sadhbh McGrath, and Lucia Linn in a pacy build-up, and Finn’s skip pass put winger McInerney over on the left.

Despite a turnover penalty won by Gemma Bell, the Clovers began to wear down the Glasgow defence. McGrath and fellow prop Ella Burns led the charge as ball carriers, and armed with a penalty advantage, Lane’s short snipe was swiftly followed by Finn squeezing over in the 22nd minute.

Centre Flynn sparked a strong response from the Scots, aided by their ball-playing front row. But it was the Clovers who pushed into a 10-point lead. Murphy tidied up a loose ball and gave McGann the chance to score in the right corner, past Bell.

McInerney had pierced through midfield in the previous phase, as Fogarty’s side put together a sharp first-phase attack off a scrum. Finn nailed the difficult conversion, and then provided her second try assist for the bonus point score.

The Tipperary teenager was pitch perfect with an arcing pass, allowing McInerney to cut inside the cover to complete a well-taken brace. The forwards had laid the groundwork again, with Aoibheann McGrath, Faith Oviawe, and Jemima Adams Verling all prominent.

Nonetheless, Glasgow snapped back with two tries heading into the interval. Full-back Poppy Mellanby countered with aplomb from a kick, finding a gap and sending Flynn over for an unconverted effort from the right wing.

The Clovers were then guilty of switching off at a defensive ruck, allowing Coubrough to regather the ball after getting back on her feet as she slipped over the try-line untouched. Ainsworth’s conversion made it a five-point game.

Glasgow remained on the front foot when the second period got underway, and vice-captain Clohessy’s injury-enforced departure was a significant blow for the Clovers. Adams Verling won a penalty at the breakdown to give them a boost.

The home side increased their share of territory with Finn finding a good touch, and then Murphy charging down a McNamara kick. Adams Verling put Glasgow under further pressure with a great rip in contact, the momentum building for a crucial try.

Captain Lane and the Clovers forwards swarmed through, leaving Glasgow defending right on their own try-line, before Ulster’s own McGrath muscled her way over. Finn swept the conversion over for good measure, leaving a dozen points in it at 31-19.

The Clovers’ lineout let them down in their attempts to enhance their lead, yet Rosie Searle, who had another very good outing in the back row, won the breakdown battle to keep Glasgow pinned back inside their own 22.

A nicely-executed loop play between Oviawe and replacement Lyndsay Clarke teed up Galwegians ace Murphy to storm over in the 60th minute. She showed terrific pace and power to beat the covering defenders. Finn took her tally to 13 points with the conversion.

Six minutes later, Whelan reached over to score on her Clovers debut. Switching across from the Wolfhounds, she profited from prop McGrath’s tap penalty to claim try number seven, which Finn also converted.

Emily Foley had fizzed with intent before that, embarking on a fantastic solo run that led to Saoirse Crowe just being held up. The replacements were certainly making their mark on this fourth round fixture, with Hannah Coen ripping the ball back close to her own try-line.

Glasgow co-captain Bogan was not to be denied, however, as she pounced to score in the 69th minute when the Clovers took too long over a ruck ball that had gone over the whitewash.

In a classy reply, Adams Verling powered through two tackles and offloaded expertly out of a third one for McGrath to romp over, evading the clutches of Rianna Darroch as she went over just to the left of the posts. Finn’s left boot made it 52-24.

There was still time for two more tries. Tireless second row Bogan popped up twice in the build-up to the visitors’ final score, supplying the last pass for Flynn to get over between two defenders.

Still, the Clovers made sure they closed out the 80 minutes on a high. They forced the issue with a scrum penalty and Foley threatening out wide. They then attacked back out to the right where McInerney put fellow Ennis native Corey over in the corner.

TIME LINE: 2 minutes – Glasgow Warriors yellow card: Nicole Flynn; 9 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Briar McNamara – 0-5; conversion: Ceitidh Ainsworth – 0-7; 11 mins – Clovers try: Alana McInerney – 5-7; conversion: missed by Caitríona Finn – 5-7; 22 mins – Clovers try: Caitríona Finn – 10-7; conversion: missed by Caitríona Finn – 10-7; 28 mins – Clovers try: Anna McGann – 15-7; conversion: Caitríona Finn – 17-7; 32 mins – Clovers try: Alana McInerney – 22-7; conversion: Caitríona Finn – 24-7; 37 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Nicole Flynn – 24-12; conversion: missed by Ceitidh Ainsworth – 24-12; 40+1 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Emily Coubrough – 24-17; conversion: Ceitidh Ainsworth – 24-19; Half-time – Clovers 24 Glasgow Warriors 19; 51 mins – Clovers try: Sadhbh McGrath – 29-19; conversion: Caitríona Finn – 31-19; 60 mins – Clovers try: Niamh Murphy – 36-19; conversion: Caitríona Finn – 38-19; 66 mins – Clovers try: Katie Whelan – 43-19; conversion: Caitríona Finn – 45-19; 69 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Holland Bogan – 45-24; conversion: missed by Ceitidh Ainsworth – 45-24; 74 mins – Clovers try: Aoibheann McGrath – 50-24; conversion: Caitríona Finn – 52-24; 77 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Nicole Flynn – 52-29; conversion: Ceitidh Ainsworth – 52-31; 80 mins – Clovers try: Aoife Corey – 57-31; conversion: missed by Caitríona Finn – 57-31; Full-time – Clovers 57 Glasgow Warriors 31

CLOVERS: Aoife Corey (Munster); Anna McGann (Connacht), Niamh Murphy (Leinster), Lucia Linn (Munster), Alana McInerney (Munster); Caitríona Finn (Munster), Emily Lane (Munster) (capt); Ella Burns (Connacht), Úillín Eilian (Connacht), Sadhbh McGrath (Ulster), Aoibheann McGrath (Munster), Jane Clohessy (Munster), Rosie Searle (Leinster), Faith Oviawe (Connacht), Jemima Adams Verling (Connacht).

Replacements: Saoirse Crowe (Munster), Siobhán McCarthy (Munster), Hannah Coen (Connacht), Amelia Green (Munster), Annakate Cournane (Munster), Katie Whelan (Leinster), Emily Foley (Connacht), Lyndsay Clarke (Munster).

GLASGOW WARRIORS: Poppy Mellanby; Sky Phimister, Nicole Flynn, Briar McNamara, Hannah Smyth; Ceitidh Ainsworth (co-capt), Rianna Darroch; Aicha Sutcliffe, Megan Hyland, Imogen Spence, Holland Bogan (co-capt), Freya Walker, Gemma Thomson, Gemma Bell, Emily Coubrough.

Replacements: Nikki Simpson, Poppy Fletcher, Katie Lindsay, Samaanther Taganekurukuru, Eilidh MacGilvray, Hannah Dunnett, Beth Blacklock, Robyn Allan.

Referee: Ross Whitfield (IRFU)