Clovers go third in hard-fought win over Thunder

Celtic Challenge - Round Three

Brython Thunder (7) 12

Tries: A Williams, Crabb Cons: Marshall

Clovers (15) 15

Tries: Foley, Linn Cons: Finn Pens: Finn

Clovers climbed to third in the Celtic Challenge after a hard-fought win over Brython Thunder at Cardiff Arms Park.

The Irish side started quickest, with tries from Emily Foley and Lucia Linn opening up a 15-point lead for the visitors in the opening 20 minutes.

That was as good as it got for Clovers, however, as Thunder continued to chip away at their lead for the rest of the game.

Amy Williams' try got the ball rolling for Brython after collecting a pinpoint cross-field kick from Hanna Marshall.

After Gwen Crabb, on her return to the team and on her first game as captain, crossed shortly after the break to cut Clovers' lead down to three points.

But neither side could add to their tally in the final half an hour, as Clovers held on to see them move above Glasgow Warriors in the standings.

Thunder remain bottom of the table, still searching for their first win of the campaign, but will be encouraged by their defensive resilience.

A cagey start saw both teams make a number of handling errors, Caitriona Finn's penalty putting Clovers ahead early on.

As the heavens opened with 13 minutes on the clock at the Arms Park, it also started raining tries.

Clovers were first to strike, as Finn's lobbed pass found Aoibheann McGrath on the left wing, and the lock did excellently to offload through the tackle to Foley, who finished the move from two metres out.

The Irish side extended their lead two minutes later when Natalia John bobbled a pass in the air, and Linn pounced on the loose pass before sprinting half the length of the field for Clovers' second try.

Undeterred, Thunder put together their best spell of the first half, twice coming close when turning to the driving maul.

But it was an incisive cross-field kick from Marshall which unpicked the Clovers defence, finding Williams in acres of space on the left wing to touch down Thunders' first try of the game on 22 minutes..

The visitors dominated possession and territory for the remaining of the first half, but Thunder went into half-time buoyed after a five-minute defensive stand on their own try-line.

And Thunder carried that momentum into the second half, dominating the early proceedings before Gwen Crabb marked her first game as captain with a try - powering over from close range.

A series of knocks and stoppages took the sting out of the game, as neither team really threatened for the next 25 minutes.

Brython Thunder: A Williams; Neumann, Bluck, Keight, Singleton; Marshall, Lockwood; Orrin, Bowden, E Jones, Crabb (capt), John, Rogers, Isaac, B Metcalfe.

Replacements: A Morgan, M Lewis, Watkins, R Davies, F Jones, F Lewis, Bush, Healan.

Clovers: Deely; McGann, Murphy, Linn, Foley; Finn, Lane (capt); Burns, Buttimer, S McGrath, A McGrath, Clohessy, Searle, Oviawe, Verling.

Replacements: Dunican, Morrissy, Coen, Green, Cournane, Moran, Clarke, Corey.