Gwalia Lightning came off second best to the reigning champions and league leaders, Wolfhounds, with a 44-10 defeat in Round 6 of the Celtic Challenge at Virgin Media Park, Cork.
The Welsh side were no match for the Irish side in this top of the table clash in Ireland and slip to second in the table with this defeat.
Lightning went into the much-anticipated top of the table clash with only three points separating the sides after five games.
The Irish side, who have won back-to-back league titles, were unbeaten so far this season, while Gwalia Lightning were unbeaten in their last four Celtic Challenge games.
Lightning were without Wales duo of prop Maisie Davies and scrum half Sian Jones and leading try scorer Courtney Greenway for the final game before a bye week in the league.
Both sides are in pole position to qualify for the new Celtic Challenge play-offs with the inaugural Grand Final at the Hive Stadium on Saturday, March 28.
Sean Lynn, the Wales Head coach, was in the stands to run the rule over the Gwalia Lightning performance with the W6N on the horizon.
Gwalia were stunned by three tries in the first ten minutes and never really recovered and went in 29 points behind at the break.
Fly half Carys Hughes, replacement prop Chloe Thomas-Bradley and wing Jodi Palmer scored Lightning’s points but Wolfhounds crossed for eight tries to establish why they are the best team in the Celtic Challenge.
The home side made the best possible start when Gwalia lost the ball in contact and wing Maggie Boyland raced in from halfway to make it 5-0 after a minute.
Centre Eve Higgins soon added Wolfhounds second try after she spilt Gwalia’s defence to make it 10-0.
Wolfhounds made it three tries in eight minutes when wing Vicky Elmes Kinlan raced in down the flank from halfway to make it 15-0.
Fly half Hughes struck with the visitors and landed a penalty to close the gap to 12 points midway through the first half.
The home side with a fourth and bonus-point try by hooker India Daley, converted by fly half Dannah O’Brien to make it 22-3.
Blindside flanker Fiona Tuite and scrum half Aoibheann Reilly crossed for Wolfhounds just before half-time to stretch the home side’s lead to 32-3 at half-time.
After the break, Wolfhounds flanker Tuite crashed over for her second try and replacement hooker Regan Casey scored for the home side.
But Gwalia Lightning crossed for a try and wing Jodi Palmer converted in a much improved second half performance.
Celtic Challenge takes a break for a week, but Gwalia Lightning will return to action when they host Clovers at Ystrad Mynach on February 14th (kick-off 1pm).
