A dominant second-half display at Parc Y Scarlets saw Edinburgh secure a bonus-point win that has taken them into the top half of the Celtic Challenge table.
Tries from Scotland internationals Panashe Muzambe and Caity Mattinson - the first of which was converted by Nicole Marlow - got Claire Cruikshanks’s team back into contention in the first half after they had fallen 12-0 behind, but they were still 17-12 adrift at half-time. However, they got on top of their Welsh opponents in an increasingly confident second 40 which saw Freya Walker and Cieron Bell add further touchdowns.
The Scots’ recovery represented a curious role reversal, because it was Thunder who began by far the more self-assured side. The Welsh women’s offloading and continuity work had the Edinburgh defence in a lot of trouble, and although their set scrum always looked vulnerable, their lineout was solid and their maul was a potent weapon.
Lock forward Shona Wakely opened the scoring for the home side with a 10th-minute try from a forward-looking pass by captain Alex Callender, and 10 minutes later Callender had another assist, this time sending a grubber through for centre Ellie Tromans to collect and touch down. Amy Williams converted the Tromans try to give Thunder an ominous lead.
But Muzambe’s finish from close range and Marlow’s conversion gave Edinburgh a foothold, and Mattinson’s try from a tap penalty brought them level. Amy Williams restored the home lead on the stroke of half-time, but that was as good as it would get for them.
In a second half which saw Thunder become increasingly penalty-prone, Walker got Edinburgh’s third after another Mattinson tap. Then, with Tromans in the bin for a deliberate knock-on, Bell got the bonus score with a long, looping run that ended with her scoring in the right corner.
Thunder held on to the consolation of a losing bonus point when Briar McNamara’s late penalty came back off a post.
