Lightning make four changes to face Wolfhounds

Gwalia Lightning have made four changes for their table-topping game against Wolfhounds at Virgin Media Park in Cork on Sunday.

Jodi Palmer makes a first start on the wing, replacing Courtney Greenyway who is on Great Britain Sevens duty.

Katie Bevans comes in at scrum-half in place of Sian Jones while Evie Hill comes into the front row instead of Maisie Davies, with Jones and Davies returning to their Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) clubs.

The final change sees Wales second-row Tilly Vucaj replace Cat Stewart, with Lilly Terry switching to flanker after her impressive outing against Edinburgh.

Lightning are second in the Celtic Challenge, three points behind leaders and back-to-back champions Wolfhounds.

Brython Thunder are on the road once again as they face Edinburgh at Hive Stadium on Saturday.

Wales international Natalia John returns to the starting line-up as one of four changes for Thunder.

Jorja Aiono makes her debut at number eight, while Meg Lewis comes into the front row in place of Sisilia Tuipulotu, who has returned for PWR duty.

The final change sees Mabli Evans start on the wing over Elli Tromans.

Gwalia Lightning head coach Catrina Nicholas McLaughlin said: "We travel to Ireland knowing we are playing the back-to-back champions and are expecting a full-blooded clash against Wolfhounds.

"We know this will be a major test for us, but it is one we are excited about and it will tell us where we are as a squad after the first block of Celtic Challenge games.

"We are still a young side facing a team full of Irish internationals, but we have shown we deserve to be second in the table and have built real momentum and confidence with our recent performances."

Brython Thunder head coach Ashley Beck said: "This is our third game away from home and we knew this would be a challenging block of games in the Celtic Challenge.

"We are still a new team with new combinations and our performances have steadily improved, but we need to be more consistent across the 80 minutes.

"Edinburgh will be hurting after their defeat to Gwalia Lightning and we are expecting a backlash in front of their home crowd.

"Our focus in on our performance and what we need to do to be consistent against a side a place above us in the league table."

Gwalia Lightning (v Wolfhounds): Richards; Prothero, Lewis, McMullen, Palmer; Hughes, Bevans; Scoble, Reardon, Hill, Pyrs, Vucaj, Terry, Owen, King (capt)

Replacements: Wakely, Thomas-Bradley, Cuming, Stewart, Williams, Buffary-Latham, Hawkins, Anderson-Thomas

Brython Thunder (v Edinburgh): A Williams; Evans, Wilkinson, Bluck, Singleton; F Williams, F Lewis; Orrin, Bowden, M Lewis, G Crabb (Capt), John, B Metcalfe, Isaac, Aiono

Replacements: Gant, L Williams, Watkins, R Davies, Wakely, Rogers, Lockwood, Marshall