Vicky Elmes Kinlan runs in the second of her two first-half tries for the Wolfhounds at the home of Ulster Rugby ©Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Newly-appointed Ireland captain Erin King played her part as the Wolfhounds – making it four straight bonus point wins in the Celtic Challenge – hammered Brython Thunder 69-0 at Affidea Stadium.
Sunday, January 18 –
WOLFHOUNDS 69 BRYTHON THUNDER 0, Affidea Stadium
Scorers: Wolfhounds: Tries: Niamh Marley, Penalty try, Vicky Elmes Kinlan 2, Robyn O’Connor 2, Linda Djougang, Stacey Flood, Maebh Clenaghan, Jade Gaffney, Naoise Smyth; Cons: Pen try con, Dannah O’Brien 4, Stacey Flood 2
Brython Thunder:
HT: Wolfhounds 36 Brython Thunder 0
Neill Alcorn’s side, who continue to set the place at the top of the table, were in free-scoring form in Belfast, but took just as much satisfaction from keeping a Brython Thunder team containing seven Wales internationals scoreless.
Fresh from Ireland’s training camp earlier this week, Vicky Elmes Kinlan (2), uncapped winger Robyn O’Connor, and Linda Djougang all touched down to add to an early Niamh Marley score and a penalty try.
That gave the defending champions a 36-0 half-time lead, with the penalty try also putting Brython Thunder’s Lisa Neumann in the sin bin. The visitors ended the game down to 14 players due to a late red card for Elan Jones.
It was 11 tries without reply in the end, as player-of-the-match Stacey Flood, O’Connor again, replacements Maebh Clenaghan and Jade Gaffney, and emerging talent Naoise Smyth all crossed the whitewash after the break.
The Wolfhounds will be based at Cork’s Virgin Media Park for the next two rounds, facing Glasgow Warriors next Sunday (kick-off 3pm) before a February 1 encounter with second-placed Gwalia Lightning (kick-off 12.30pm).
Amy Williams put in a crucial tackle on Ireland star Djougang, who linked neatly with Maeve Óg O’Leary and Fiona Tuite in attack inside the opening minutes. Brython Thunder debutant Sisilia Tuipulotu brought impact with a big carry and an early scrum penalty.
It was Armagh native Marley who made the breakthrough in the seventh minute, scoring at her home provincial ground. Fed by Flood on the left wing, she charged over from just outside the visitors’ 22, handing off Hannah Bluck along the way.
The Wolfhounds quickly extended their lead, Aoibheann Reilly releasing young winger O’Connor from 60 metres out. Her rapid, weaving run took her past full-back Williams before Neumann’s high tackle – just before the try-line – resulted in a penalty try and a yellow card.
India Daley then tied in two defenders, allowing the supporting Elmes Kinlan to dart clear from 30 metres out. Dannah O’Brien converted from straight in front, opening up a 19-point advantage with Neumann still off the pitch.
Brython Thunder looked dangerous at times when counter attacking, but they failed to profit from a Tuipulotu turnover past halfway. The Wolfhounds raced back downfield at pace, and King had a try ruled out for blocking.
Brython Thunder captain Gwen Crabb and Branwen Metcalfe did well to force a maul turnover, holding up Caoimhe Molloy just a few metres out. The home team hit back soon after by winning a scrum against the head.
They used the possession wisely, moving the ball crisply across to the right where Flood unleashed O’Connor for a fleet-footed finish, rounding past three defenders. That was the bonus point taken care of by the half-hour mark.
Djougang delighted the home support by pinning her ears back to run in try number five. She used Daley’s smart offoad to break from 40 metres out, showing her pace and shrugging off Hanna Marshall to touch down.
The Welsh outfit struggled once the Wolfhounds were in full flow in attack, and Elmes Kinlan doubled her tally with a scintillating, sidestepping run in the 36th minute. Attacking from just inside her own half, she left four defenders trailing in her wake to complete a brilliant brace.
Brython Thunder failed to deal with an O’Brien kick that found grass, allowing Flood to sweep through, handing off Seren Singleton for a seven-pointer inside the opening 90 seconds of the closing half.
After regrouping following a Metcalfe break, the Wolfhounds sprung clear for a 46th-minute try. King used scrum ball to send Reilly rampaging into space, and the supporting O’Connor reached out of a tackle from Neumann to score. O’Brien tagged on a handsome conversion.
Trailing 50-0, the defensive workload increased for Brython Thunder following an Elmes Kinlan-won penalty at the breakdown. A further penalty proved costly, allowing the Wolfhounds to generate a powerful maul and give Clenaghan a straightforward finish at the rear.
Flood paired up with Gaffney at half-back for the remainder, with Eve Higgins entering the fray at full-back. King, Djougang, and Tuite were called ashore on the hour mark, giving a good chunk of game-time to some of the Wolfhounds’ forwards.
The final quarter was rather stop-start, with both benches busy, and the Thunder’s frustration grew as some good approach work was ruined by another turnover. Finley Jones and Rhian Bowden threatened off a lineout, only for fellow replacement Allie Watkins to be stripped of possession.
However, the Wolfhounds rounded things off with two Flood-converted tries. Their tenth came from some lovely interplay near the left touchline between Poppy Garvey, Smyth, and Cara McLean, who supplied the final offload for Gaffney to get on the scoresheet.
A high tackle from Jones on Aoife Corcoran then had referee Rob McGreer reaching for his red card, and the Wolfhounds duly capitalised. After Clenaghan was stopped just short from a monster 79th-minute maul, Gaffney set up young lock Smyth to crash over.
TIME LINE: 7 minutes – Wolfhounds try: Niamh Marley – 5-0; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 5-0; 11 mins – Wolfhounds try: Penalty try & conversion – 12-0; Brython Thunder yellow card: Lisa Neumann; 17 mins – Wolfhounds try: Vicky Elmes Kinlan – 17-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 19-0; 29 mins – Wolfhounds try: Robyn O’Connor – 24-0; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 24-0; 34 mins – Wolfhounds try: Linda Djougang – 29-0; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 29-0; 36 mins – Wolfhounds try: Vicky Elmes Kinlan – 34-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 36-0; Half-time – Wolfhounds 36 Brython Thunder 0; 42 mins – Wolfhounds try: Stacey Flood – 41-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 43-0; 46 mins – Wolfhounds try: Robyn O’Connor – 48-0; conversion: Dannah O’Brien – 50-0; 52 mins – Wolfhounds try: Maebh Clenaghan – 55-0; conversion: missed by Dannah O’Brien – 55-0; 73 mins – Wolfhounds try: Jade Gaffney – 60-0; conversion: Stacey Flood – 62-0; 74 mins – Brython Thunder red card: Elan Jones; 79 mins – Wolfhounds try: Naoise Smyth – 67-0; conversion: Stacey Flood – 69-0; Full-time – Wolfhounds 69 Brython Thunder 0
WOLFHOUNDS: Stacey Flood (Leinster); Robyn O’Connor (Leinster), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Leinster), Aoife Dalton (Leinster) (capt), Niamh Marley (Ulster); Dannah O’Brien (Leinster), Aoibheann Reilly (Connacht); Caoimhe Molloy (Leinster), India Daley (Ulster), Linda Djougang (Leinster), Naoise Smyth (Leinster), Fiona Tuite (Ulster), Claire Boles (Ulster), Maeve Óg O’Leary (Munster), Erin King (Leinster).
Replacements: Maebh Clenaghan (Ulster), Cara McLean (Ulster), Alisha Flynn (Munster), Kate Jordan (Leinster), Poppy Garvey (Connacht), Aoife Corcoran (Leinster), Jade Gaffney (Leinster), Eve Higgins (Leinster).
BRYTHON THUNDER: Amy Williams; Lisa Neumann, Gabby Healan, Hannah Bluck, Seren Singleton; Hanna Marshall, Ffion Lewis; Stella Orrin, Shanelle Williams, Sisilia Tuipulotu, Gwen Crabb (capt), Natalia John, Jess Rogers, Lucy Isaac, Branwen Metcalfe.
Replacements: Rhian Bowden, Elan Jones, Allie Watkins, Robyn Davies, Finley Jones, Ffion Williams, Rhiannon Griffin, Ellie Tromans.
Referee: Rob McGreer (IRFU)
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