Wolfhounds Comfortable Winners In Cork Despite Glasgow Comeback

The Wolfhounds did all the damage during the opening 46 minutes with eight tries, but Glasgow Warriors rallied to halve the deficit to 52-26 by the final whistle at Virgin Media Park.

CELTIC CHALLENGE – ROUND 5:

Sunday, January 25 –

WOLFHOUNDS 52 GLASGOW WARRIORS 26, Virgin Media Park
Scorers: Wolfhounds: Tries: Caoimhe Molloy 2, Erin King, Katie Corrigan, Linda Djougang, Fiona Tuite, Maeve Óg O’Leary, Vicky Elmes Kinlan; Cons: Abby Moyles 6
Glasgow Warriors: Tries: Holland Bogan, Rianna Darroch, Briar McNamara, Sky Phimister; Cons: Millie Warren 3
HT: Wolfhounds 40 Glasgow Warriors 0

Wicklow prop Caoimhe Molloy bagged a brace of tries, and player-of-the-match Fiona Tuite also got on the scoresheet, as the Wolfhounds reached the halfway point of the Celtic Challenge’s regular season with a perfect 25 points.

There was much to admire about their fifth bonus point win, yet conceding four final-quarter scores left them with plenty of work-ons for next Sunday’s top of the table clash with Gwalia Lightning in Cork. Tickets are available to buy here.

It took just 21 minutes for the hosts’ bonus point to be registered, and it was done in fine style as Linda Djougang romped clear down the left touchline to add to earlier tries from Molloy, Erin King, and Katie Corrigan.

Tuite, who was terrific in the loose, and Maeve Óg O’Leary took the try haul to six for a 40-0 half-time lead. Abby Moyles, deputising for Dannah O’Brien at out-half, displayed her place-kicking prowess with six conversions in all.

Molloy and Vicky Elmes Kinlan completed the defending champions’ scoring, before Glasgow got on top for the remainder. Two of their tries came while Tuite was in the sin bin, as Holland Bogan, Rianna Darroch, Briar McNamara, and Sky Phimister all touched down.

Elmes Kinlan, the scorer of two tries in Belfast last week, was the only starting back retained by Wolfhounds head coach Neill Alcorn. Maebh Clenaghan and Kate Jordan also came into the pack, with the latter making her fourth start of the campaign.

Glasgow played with a high tempo straight from the off, driven on by McNamara’s midfield break. Phimister threatened on the right, the pack following suit off a lineout platform until King won a relieving penalty at the breakdown.

Following up on a well-placed Moyles kick, Corrigan and Amy Larn bundled Robyn Allan into touch. The Wolfhounds took advantage of the field position in the ninth minute, Eve Higgins carrying hard before Molloy twisted out of a tackle to score.

Moyles split the posts with the conversion, and the game continued at a mile-a-minute. Tuite made an eye-catching break, and then popped up in the build-up to King’s try, the new Ireland captain expertly worming her way over through a couple of attempted tackles.

Glasgow were not doing much wrong in defence, it was just that the home side’s execution was very impressive once there was any sliver of space to exploit, either through the middle or out wide.

Tuite and King were prominent again in the 17th minute, Moyles releasing Corrigan down the right wing and she cut inside Poppy Mellanby to touch down, teeing up Moyles for her third successful conversion.

Djougang was next over the whitewash, an excellent interchange with Maggie Boylan on the left allowing the Ireland star to showcase her speed again on a 45-metre run-in which left Bogan and Gemma Bell trailing in her wake.

King continued to dominate at the breakdown with the scoreboard showing 26-0. Emily Coubrough pinched one back and Glasgow, through co-captain Bogan, were able to pressurise the Wolfhounds into lineout errors.

Still, once the title holders got their attack in full flow, there was little that could stop them. Countering from a kick, Boylan and King made inroads, the latter tying in three defenders and popping the ball up for Tuite to dart over impressively from just outside the Scots’ 22.

Corrigan was then first to a Higgins kick, gobbling up the metres for another 22-metre entry. Released infield, flanker O’Leary’s pace and power saw her expose three missed tackles for a well-taken sixth try, converted by Moyles.

After absorbing some late first-half pressure, the Wolfhounds scored within a minute of the restart. Kate Jordan’s ball-dislodging tackle gave Molloy the opportunity to double her tally from 12 metres out. Moyles’ right boot quickly made it 47-0.

The hosts soon pushed through the half-century mark with a fine score from inside their own half. Higgins sped into some space on the West Stand side, deftly drawing the final defender before putting her centre partner Elmes Kinlan cruising towards the posts.

Glasgow had a lot more possession as the third quarter went on. Better ball retention came on the back of a Phimister run from deep. Closer in, lock Bogan was tackled, released the ball and went again to raid over for a deserved try, converted by Millie Warren.

Replacement scrum half Darroch, Allan, and Aicha Sutcliffe all stood out as Glasgow’s purple patch extended past the hour mark. Tuite was sin-binned for an offside close to her own try-line, and Darroch plunged over after another strong carry from Bogan.

Ellie Williamson got in to disrupt and force a penalty, the Glasgow backs responding by increasing their threat out wide. The quick ruck ball was fully utilised and a neat link-up between Mellanby and McNamara saw the outside centre crash over in the 70th minute.

Rampaging through from a lineout, replacements Eilidh MacGilvray and Megan Hyland led the charge for the Warriors’ bonus point score with five minutes remaining. Phimister provided a rapid finish on the opposite wing, evading the clutches of Niamh Marley.

TIME LINE: 9 minutes – Wolfhounds try: Caoimhe Molloy – 5-0; conversion: Abby Moyles – 7-0; 15 mins – Wolfhounds try: Erin King – 12-0; conversion: Abby Moyles – 14-0; 17 mins – Wolfhounds try: Katie Corrigan – 19-0; conversion: Abby Moyles – 21-0; 21 mins – Wolfhounds try: Linda Djougang – 26-0; conversion: missed by Abby Moyles – 26-0; 30 mins – Wolfhounds try: Fiona Tuite – 31-0; conversion: Abby Moyles – 33-0; 35 mins – Wolfhounds try: Maeve Óg O’Leary – 38-0; conversion: Abby Moyles – 40-0; Half-time – Wolfhounds 40 Glasgow Warriors 0; 41 mins – Wolfhounds try: Caoimhe Molloy – 45-0; conversion: Abby Moyles – 47-0; 46 mins – Wolfhounds try: Vicky Elmes Kinlan – 52-0; conversion: missed by Abby Moyles – 52-0; 53 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Holland Bogan – 52-5; conversion: Millie Warren – 52-7; 61 mins – Wolfhounds yellow card: Fiona Tuite; 62 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Rianna Darroch – 52-12; conversion: Millie Warren – 52-14; 70 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Briar McNamara – 52-19; conversion: Millie Warren – 52-21; 75 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Sky Phimister – 52-26; conversion: missed by Millie Warren – 52-26; Full-time – Wolfhounds 52 Glasgow Warriors 26

WOLFHOUNDS: Amy Larn (Leinster); Maggie Boylan (Leinster), Eve Higgins (Leinster), Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Leinster), Katie Corrigan (Leinster); Abby Moyles (Ulster), Jade Gaffney (Leinster); Caoimhe Molloy (Leinster), Maebh Clenaghan (Ulster), Linda Djougang (Leinster), Kate Jordan (Leinster), Fiona Tuite (Ulster), Claire Boles (Ulster) (capt), Maeve Óg O’Leary (Munster), Erin King (Leinster).

Replacements: India Daley (Ulster), Cara McLean (Ulster), Sophie Barrett (Ulster), Naoise Smyth (Leinster), Aoife Corcoran (Leinster), Alex Connor (Leinster), Kate Farrell McCabe (Ulster), Niamh Marley (Ulster).

GLASGOW WARRIORS: Poppy Mellanby; Sky Phimister, Briar McNamara, Beth Blacklock, Robyn Allan; Ceitidh Ainsworth (co-capt), Rebekah Douglas; Poppy Fletcher, Aicha Sutcliffe, Imogen Spence, Holland Bogan (co-capt), Freya Walker, Gemma Thomson, Gemma Bell, Emily Coubrough.

Replacements: Megan Hyland, Freya Gracie, Katie Lindsay, Ellie Williamson, Eilidh MacGilvray, Rianna Darroch, Millie Warren, Claudia McLaren.

Referee: Kevin Coffey (IRFU)