Edinburgh Women v Clovers 1/3/25
Season’s nearly clover
Tomorrow, Edinburgh Women play their final home game of the season, with both pride and vital league points at stake against the Irish Clovers.
Since we last grasped the clover by the thorns way back in round 3, the Irish side has gone unbeaten, securing four wins with maximum try bonus points. The only reason they sit behind the Wolfhounds in the league table is that their round 5 tie in Glasgow was written off and declared a draw in the face of Storm Éowyn. They’ve had 16 players named in the Irish 6 Nations squad, and put a whopping 94 points on Brython Thunder in west Wales last weekend.
Watch full highlights of our trip to Cork here:
This all to say that the Clovers are a formidable side. They’ll travel to Embra full of confidence, fully expecting another victory.
Last weekend’s performance against the Wolfhounds, especially in the second half, gives me more hope than I had this time last week that we can halt the Clovers' momentum. While the scoreboard didn’t fully reflect it, we showed real improvements over recent weeks. In the second half - when we had the wind in our favour - we looked more like our best selves.
Yes, we only came away with a losing bonus point, but I thought we gave a really good account of ourselves. The Wolfhounds are a class side, and there’s no shame in losing to them - especially when we became only the second team this season to keep them scoreless for an entire half. Scoring a try bonus point against them is no small feat either; it was our fifth in eight games.
First-half struggles: kicking, exits, and defence
Playing into a strong wind in the first half didn’t help. The Wolfhounds used smart kicking to keep us pinned back, while our lack of a reliable box-kick option was evident - we attempted just one all game, and that was in attack rather than as part of an exit strategy. Having to pass back to Hannah Ramsay or Lucia Scott for clearance kicks costs us five metres before we even kick, and that’s before factoring in any wind. Restarts remain a problem, too.
A few missed tackles led to the first two Wolfhounds tries, and our scramble defence kept us in the contest more than any structured defensive play. Their third try stemmed from another poor exit.
At the breakdown, the Wolfhounds were outstanding. It allows their attacking play to maintain relentless intensity and, in defence, they expertly push the boundaries - classic Irish play, often met with a knowing wink to the ref!
Conceding a fifth try just before half-time was a gut punch, especially as we’d been building well in attack before a loose ball handed them an opportunity. Seeing Sam Taganekurkuru limp off after the break was another worrying moment - hopefully, it’s nothing serious.
Second-half fightback: individual brilliance and defensive resilience
Despite a disastrous opening 10 minutes, we steadied the ship well in the next 15. There were some standout defensive moments: Cieron Bell’s aggressive out-to-in reads, Natasha Logan’s crucial turnover under pressure, and multiple big hits from Giselle Chicot. Logan was even finally rewarded for holding an attacker up over the line - unlike in Glasgow a few weeks ago!
Ramsay continues to prove a menace at the breakdown, securing another key turnover, while her flat passing in attack was sharp - one around the 20-minute mark unleashed Aila Ronald into the Wolfhounds’ backfield.
I really like Chicot in the midfield. She’s a strong crash-ball option, helping to tidy up slow or messy ball, and adds much-needed physicality. The headband she sported last week only adds to the mystique, in my opinion!
The BBC commentary team were harsh on our scrum, but I thought we held up well under pressure. The Wolfhounds pushed us off one, but otherwise, we were solid, and the only scrum penalty went in our favour.
Bell marked her return to the squad with a well-taken try. The platform came from another strong scrum, Hannah Walker carried well, and Lisa Brown’s slick hands released Bell to finish. Walker later added a fourth try of her own - a cracking finish, keeping her hot on Bell’s heels in the all-time scoring charts.
In that second half, the wind being at our backs certainly had an impact - even if only psychologically. We looked more confident in what we were doing right from the off, though I may be doing Shanks’ team talk a disservice there!
Ronald continues to impress on both sides of the ball, Logan and Adelle Ferrie remain pivotal to the way we want to play, and I thought Rhea Clarke had a very good game at scrum-half, passing well, making key defensive contributions, and keeping the opposition honest with her sniping runs.
Our maul defence was effective, as it has been all season. I felt like we only got four or five attacking mauls throughout, but that worked well, too - directly contributing to Ronald, Clarke and Walker’s tries. Clearly, a lot of work is going into this area.
The defensive effort in the second half was exactly what we’ve been crying out for all season - physical, connected, and aggressive. If we can bring that level from the first whistle against the Clovers, it'll be a great starting point.
Team’s oot
Credit: @EdinburghRugby on Twitter.
Two changes for Embra with Alex Stewart, having completed her Scotland-mandated kinda-sorta rest week last time out, moving back to the starting line-up where she’s joined by Cat Moody on her first start. They replace the injured Taganekurukuru and Charlotte Fosbeary.
Also on the unavailable list this week are Hannah McMahon, Dawn Lawrie, Georgia Young, Holly McIntyre, Shona Campbell, Nicole Marlow, and Lucy MacRae.
The consistency of selection will hopefully work in our favour, and it’s nice to see Pip Benson back fit and in the 23, too.
The Clovers feature 11 of their 16 Ireland training squad members - including captain Amee Leigh Costigan (née Murphy-Crowe) and half-backs Emily Lane at 9 and the returning Nicole Fowley at 10.
It’s the last home game of the season, and the team deserves a big, vocal crowd. Let’s give them the send-off they deserve.
Mon the Gunners.