These days any good news in Welsh rugby is worth its weight in gold.
Gwalia Lightning’s triumph in Edinburgh today brings them a fourth win in five.
The first half remained a tough contest.
Sian Jones got the visitors off to a positive start by sending a long diagonal towards Edinburgh’s lines; almost a 50:22.
Stern defences held the Welsh out, and for a time the home pack got the better of a powerful looking opposition.
But soon enough Maisie Davies made her first mark of the day to cross the line.
Both sides created chances, but untidiness and inaccuracy kept the scoreboard silent till the Edinburgh pack gained their reward for a devastating shove with a penalty try.
This uplift had a short life.
Another Scottish attack broke down, and once again Davies took advantage to score.
Half-time: 7-12
These totals might have been so much higher but for turnovers that pricked the balloon of confidence.
How different the second half proved to be. Gwalia ran away with the game, adding a further 31 points without reply.
Edinburgh went on making straightforward errors, some of which, like clearances in defence, point to deficiencies in coaching as much as in player awareness.
Hannah Ramsay at 10 had kicks charged down as the pack in front of her and her No 9 failed to offer clean ball.
Gwalia needed little encouragement; their performances this season had already put a spring in their step.
They now profited from every Scottish error to build some dazzling phases. The tries rained in.
When Lily Terry charged over in the 69th minute, that was four tries in 24 minutes. The bonus point was almost incidental.
Edinburgh did have some good moments, but not minutes. All too often a poor pass intervened or support was a metre or two off pace to prevent an overturn.
They were further handicapped when Rachel Philipps had to leave the field with an arm injury.
In sharp contrast, it was encouraging for Gwalia that the replacements joining the action proved as penetrative as the first choices.
Poor Talei Tawake, only just on, was carded for offside as the home side tried to halt another stampede.
It was typical of the whole half that Catherine Richards profited from another turnover to race over in the 79th minute.
Result: Edinburgh Rugby 7 Gwalia Lightning 43
Player of the Match: Maisie Davies
Teams (as published)
Edinburgh Rugby: 15 NICOLE MARLOW 14 CIERON BELL 13 LISA BROWN 12 RACHEL PHILIPPS 11 HANNAH WALKER (captain) 10 HANNAH RAMSAY 9 EMILY LOVE 1 ALISON WILSON 2 AILA RONALD 3 FAYE SUTHERLAND 4 ADELLE FERRIE 5 NATASHA LOGAN 6 CATRIONA MOODY 7 ALEX STEWART 8 KAY LUSBY
16 KAYLEE FRASER 17 TALEI TAWAKE 18 HANNAH McMAHON 19 CHARLOTTE RUSSELL 20 LAURYN McGROTTY 21 PIP BENSON 22 LUCY MacRAE 23 SCARLETT HADDOW
Gwalia Lightning: 15 CATHERINE RICHARDS 14 COURTNEY GREENWAY 13 ISLA MCMULLEN 12 CAITLYN LEWIS 11 NIKITA PROTHERO 10 CARYS HUGHES 9 SIAN LEWIS 1 MAISIE DAVIES 2 MOLLY REARDON 3 JENNI SCOBLE 4 LILY TERRY 5 ALAW PYRS 6 CATRIN STEWART 7 ANWEN OWEN 8 BRYONIE KING
16 MOLLIE CRABB 17 CHLOE THOMAS BRADLEY 18 EVIE HILL 19 TILLY VUCAJ 20 LOTTIE BUFFERY LATHAM 21 LILY HAWKINS 22 MOLLY ANDERSON 23 CATHERINE PALMER
Afterthoughts
Of the two national coaches Sean Lynn and Sione Fukofuka, it will have been Lynn watching proceedings with a keener eye.
As I type, he still hasn’t announced first training squad, but several Gwalia players must now be pencilled into his notebook. Some have already been capped, but he’ll be aware of the positions that need strengthening (most of them?).
But even leading Gwalia figures like Reardon and Davies aren’t the complete player yet; Reardon’s line-out throws are no more secure than Carys Phillips’, and Davies won’t have enjoyed being shunted backwards by a delighted Edinburgh pack.
Here’s where the CC still has to prove itself long-term. Can it really provide well-rounded players in every position? Or does the head coach know his assistants can correct any faults in a highly promising player?
We now await tomorrow to see whether Brython Thunder can take inspiration from their Welsh sisters. They lag far behind in the table, a truer sign of current Welsh standards.
Both Clovers and Thunder will be intent on showing they are at least the equals of their compatriots.
If the Hounds lose at home, it will be the biggest upset the CC has yet known.
Sunday fixtures:
1. Clovers v Brython Thunder 12.00
2. Wolfhounds v Glasgow Warriors 15.00
