Campbell Enjoys Winning Return With Clovers In Scotstoun

Ruth Campbell returned from a neck injury to help the Clovers to a 38-31 bonus point win away to Glasgow Warriors, which keeps them in the hunt for a home semi-final in the Celtic Challenge.

CELTIC CHALLENGE – ROUND 6:

Saturday, January 31 –

GLASGOW WARRIORS 31 CLOVERS 38, Scotstoun Stadium
Scorers: Glasgow Warriors: Tries: Emily Coubrough, Holland Bogan, Millie Warren, Penalty try; Cons: Millie Warren, Pen try con, Briar McNamara
Clovers: Tries: Faith Oviawe, Aoibheann McGrath 2, Katie Whelan, Anna McGann, Síofra Hession; Cons: Caitríona Finn 3, Síofra Hession
HT: Glasgow Warriors 7 Clovers 26

Campbell’s first appearance since the Rugby World Cup saw her play just over 20 minutes. Denis Fogarty’s side were clinical during that period as Faith Oviawe, Aoibheann McGrath, and Katie Whelan all crossed the whitewash.

Anna McGann ran in an intercept try for a 26-7 half-time lead, cancelling out an Emily Coubrough score. The home crowd at Scotstoun Stadium willed the Warriors on, but it was the Clovers who struck first early on the resumption.

Player-of-the-match McGrath doubled her tally – grabbing her fourth try of the competition – but with Caitríona Finn taken off due to a slight injury, Glasgow got on the front foot and ran in three tries up to the 70-minute mark.

Co-captain Holland Bogan and Millie Warren scored before Chisom Ugwueru and Oviawe were both sin-binned, the latter’s yellow card challenge on Emily Norval resulting in a penalty try and a 31-24 scoreline.

However, 18-year-old Connacht starlet Síofra Hession sealed the result for the Clovers with a smartly-taken 74th-minute try. Glasgow bagged two bonus points in the end, with Briar McNamara converting her own score right at the death.

After picking up 19 points from their last five outings, Fogarty’s charges have temporarily climbed into second place ahead of tomorrow’s top of the table clash between the Wolfhounds and Gwalia Lightning. The Clovers will play Gwalia in Ystrad Mynach on St. Valentine’s Day.

It was Campbell’s first time to captain the Clovers, while Orla Dixon made her debut in the centre. Their bench was bolstered by the returning Ailish Quinn and Ugwueru, who are both part of the centralised Women’s High Performance Programme this season.

Fogarty emphasised the importance of a strong start, and his players delivered on that. Poppy Mellanby made the game’s first break, showing how threatening Glasgow can be when counter attacking, but the visitors were first on the scoreboard.

Annakate Cournane went close from Finn’s short pass, before Whelan and Lyndsay Clarke moved the ball wide for Oviawe to touch down in the sixth minute. Finn’s conversion flashed wide in windy conditions.

Campbell was in the thick of the action, stealing an early lineout and making a strong carry in the build-up to the opening try. Her impressive second row partner McGrath followed suit, brilliantly breaking a tackle and taking Robyn Allan with her over the try-line.

The 19-year-old’s power-packed effort was converted by Finn for a 12-point advantage. Knock-ons spoiled Glasgow’s attempts to respond, and Dixon charged down a kick from Warren, retrieving the ball to put the home side back on the defensive.

Some neat interplay between Dixon, Campbell, and Alana McInerney got the Clovers’ attack motoring again, midway through the first half. Cournane was next to carry, closer in towards the posts, and Whelan was quick as you like, cleverly sniping over for Finn to convert.

The variety of the Clovers’ kicking game was causing problems for the Warriors, who also conceded a turnover penalty to Dixon. A defence-slashing run from Rebekah Douglas was the spark they needed, putting them into scoring range for the first time.

Glasgow opted for scrums from three close-in penalties, and the pressure told when number 8 Coubrough controlled the ball at the base of a 35th-minute set-piece to dot down. Warren’s right boot made it a full seven-pointer.

However, it was centre Warren’s high pass that McGann picked off for an almost immediate reply. The Athlone native raced in under the posts from 30 metres out, giving Finn a straightforward kick to restore the 19-point gap.

The Clovers roared downfield just minutes into the second period, with McInerney threatening from an interception. She did well to retain possession and set up a close-in ruck, allowing Clarke to feed McGrath to get over in the left corner past Gemma Thomson.

Following Finn’s departure, McNamara and Ceitidh Ainsworth grew in influence for Glasgow. After winning a scrum against the head, the Scottish outfit hammered away and Bogan ran hard onto a pass to crash over the try-line in the 52nd minute.

Backs and forwards then combined for Warren to add try number three just on the hour mark. Bogan was the heart of it, showing her strength and smarts on the ball, before McNamara’s inside pass released her centre partner to get over despite Aoife Corey’s tackle.

Into the final quarter, Quinn and Ugwueru both came on for the Clovers. Mellanby showed very good reactions when dealing with a Hession kick that bounced dangerously, close to the hosts’ line.

Unfortunately for Ugwueru, her time on the pitch was short-lived as her high tackle on an onrushing Phimister, who had done well to collect an Ainsworth kick close to halfway, saw her sent to the sin bin.

Glasgow used their numerical advantage to force a bonus point score. A Hession kick was blocked, McNamara getting her boot to the ball to launch a furious chase downfield. Norval nicked it on and was tackled without the ball by Oviawe. The double setback of the yellow card and penalty try was prompt.

Nonetheless, the Clovers, with their lead cut to seven points, managed to hit back while down to 13 players. A knock-on inside Glasgow’s 22 gave them field position, and replacement out-half Hession expertly evaded a tackle and spun out of a second one to ground the ball, adding the conversion herself.

There was still time for McNamara to squeeze in the 11th try of this entertaining sixth round encounter. Hard-working forwards Bogan and Coubrough kept the ball alive for the centre to score and then pocket a second bonus point for her side with the conversion.

TIME LINE: 6 minutes – Clovers try: Faith Oviawe – 0-5; conversion: missed by Caitríona Finn – 0-5; 10 mins – Clovers try: Aoibheann McGrath – 0-10; conversion: Caitríona Finn – 0-12; 22 mins – Clovers try: Katie Whelan – 0-17; conversion: Caitríona Finn – 0-19; 35 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Emily Coubrough 5-19; conversion: Millie Warren – 7-19; 37 mins – Clovers try: Anna McGann – 7-24; conversion: Caitríona Finn – 7-26; Half-time – Glasgow Warriors 7 Clovers 26; 43 mins – Clovers try: Aoibheann McGrath – 7-31; conversion: missed by Caitríona Finn – 7-31; 52 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Holland Bogan – 12-31; conversion: missed by Millie Warren – 12-31; 59 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Millie Warren – 17-31; conversion: missed by Millie Warren – 17-31; 68 mins – Clovers yellow card: Chisom Ugwueru; 71 mins – Glasgow Warriors penalty try & conversion – 24-31; Clovers yellow card: Faith Oviawe; 74 mins – Clovers try: Síofra Hession – 24-36; conversion: Síofra Hession – 24-38; 80+1 mins – Glasgow Warriors try: Briar McNamara – 29-38; conversion: Briar McNamara – 31-38; Full-time – Glasgow Warriors 31 Clovers 38

GLASGOW WARRIORS: Poppy Mellanby; Sky Phimister, Briar McNamara, Millie Warren, Robyn Allan; Ceitidh Ainsworth (co-capt), Rebekah Douglas; Poppy Fletcher, Aicha Sutcliffe, Katie Lindsay, Holland Bogan (co-capt), Freya Walker, Gemma Thomson, Eilidh MacGilvray, Emily Coubrough.

Replacements: Megan Hyland, Freya Gracie, Imogen Spence, Ellie Williamson, Ciorstaidh Ainsworth, Hannah Dunnett, Claudia McLaren, Emily Norval.

CLOVERS: Aoife Corey (Munster); Lyndsay Clarke (Munster), Orla Dixon (Connacht), Alana McInerney (Munster), Anna McGann (Connacht); Caitríona Finn (Munster), Katie Whelan (Leinster); Siobhán McCarthy (Munster), Saoirse Crowe (Munster), Ella Burns (Connacht), Aoibheann McGrath (Munster), Ruth Campbell (Leinster) (capt), Faith Oviawe (Connacht), Annakate Cournane (Munster), Jemima Adams Verling (Connacht).

Replacements: Aoife Fleming (Munster), Orlaith Morrissy (Munster), Sadhbh McGrath (Ulster), Rosie Searle (Leinster), Ailish Quinn (Connacht), Emily Lane (Munster), Síofra Hession (Connacht), Chisom Ugwueru (Munster).

Referee: Ciaran Stark (SRU)