The Celtic Challenge in its new format is over. The final round was played out at the famous Parc y Scarlets ground, Llanelli.
Results
Clovers 12 Edinburgh R 12
Brython Thunder 30 Gwalia Lightning 5
The Table W D L Pts
Wolfhounds 6 1 0 32
Edinburgh Rugby 4 2 1 25
Clovers 3 1 3 17
Gwalia Lightning 3 0 4 16
Brython Thunder 3 0 4 16
Glasgow Warriors 0 0 7 1
Despite all the optimistic noises coming from three capitals, it’s impossible to say how the competition will have affected the Six Nations.
This is largely due to the sensible agreement made at the start that each union could choose its own path. That meant above all, who to select for each match, test players with 50 caps or 18-year-old newbies?
In the event Brython Thunder included highly experienced forwards who carried all before them; Glasgow Warriors didn’t.
This reflected on national policies: what did the head coaches want to achieve from the newly extended competition? Were they anxious to strengthen certain parts of the field? Or were they happy to note players for a more distant international future? Close co-operation between national and team coaches was vital.
Glasgow Warriors finished last of the six, but two of their players have just been called up into the 34-strong Scotland squad. They are Holland Bogan and Nikki Simpson. The differences between the pair are interesting in themselves. Bogan, just 18, represents the new order, coming through the junior pathways and impressing the selectors enough to be called up to the big time.
Simpson marks the other type of player Scotland needs to bulk out its strength. She is seven years older than her Warriors team-mate, and might have missed out completely, had it not been for the extra exposure the CC offered her.
It’s to their credit that the pair have been singled out, as Warriors are the one team to go through the tournament winless.
A gratifying feature of the championship has been the tightness of so many games. It’s reflected in the table above. Take away the top and bottom teams, and you see four sides scrapping away in tense encounters. Outsiders might think that is what is best for the Celtic nations. They may not agree.
A brief note on the two Round 8 matches
This last round was a rare chance for customers to act as neutral observers, watching two cross-border teams.
Brython Thunder v Gwalia Lightning
Brython were intent on giving Sioned Harries the best possible send-off after she announced her decision to retire after a meritorious career in the red shirt (78 caps, 28 tries). In front of a 700-strong crowd she signed off with a typical try and a far less typical drop-goal. Long live the drop-goal!
The Thunder management could be pleased with the way their charges finished the campaign. They completed one of the few high-scoring victories.
Clovers v Edinburgh Rugby
Clovers played out a tense draw with Edinburgh on their first visit to Welsh soil. The 12-all result was a great improvement on the 35-21 loss they had suffered in the reverse match. They were on top for much of the first half, but the scoreboard had nothing to say for their efforts. Instead, Briar McNamara, who has been so influential in the Scottish centre, scored the solitary try.
Clovers came back strongly. Tries by Clare Gorman and Clara Barrett put them ahead 12-7, but just before the last trumpet Rhona Lloyd came to the Scots’ rescue with a typical score.
So what has been a tight, hard-fought campaign all through finished fittingly with scores level.
Now we’ll see what the three national head coaches made of all that effort.
