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Irish Examiner
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Clontarf's Dylan Donnellan expecting 'well-rounded' Cork Con for AIL Division 1A final
Clontarf captain Dylan Donnellan is expecting to encounter a 'well-rounded' Cork Constitution outfit when the two sides clash in the Men's All-Ireland League Division 1A final at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday (kick-off 4pm). The competition's defending champions, Cork Con come into this weekend's decider on the back of a 16-8 semi-final victory over St Mary's College at Templeville Road last Saturday. 'Tarf had two points to spare (17-15) against Lansdowne in their last-four showdown at Castle Avenue on the same day and after they previously claimed AIL top-tier titles in 2014, 2016 and 2022, Donnellan is hopeful of continuing a strong club legacy at Irish Rugby HQ. 'They're a really well-rounded team. Good, physical pack. Run a good line-out, good scrum. Dangerous backs. I suppose that's what you need now to get to an AIL final. You're not going to get there with just one set or the other set being good. A good battle all around the pitch and it should be a great game,' Donnellan acknowledged. 'The recent history [of Clontarf] in the last 10 or 12 years, it has been a very successful time for the club. You kind of just want to breathe more life into that and just drive that on. Bringing back a trophy would be the pinnacle of that. Hopefully we go one more on Sunday.' While he is a stalwart of the domestic scene – having also lined out for Galway Corinthians and Lansdowne in the past – the beginning of the 2023/24 season saw Donnellan making two appearances for Leinster in the United Rugby Championship after being drafted into their squad as short-term injury cover at hooker. Clontarf's Dylan Donnellan and Conor Kelly celebrate after victory against Lansdowne. File picture: Tommy Grealy/Inpho His front-row partner at Clontarf Ivan Soroka also picked up a brace of Leinster caps under similar circumstances last month and with the eastern province often releasing players to clubs for game time, Donnellan believes the strong connection between the amateur and professional sides of rugby has helped to raise the standard of the All-Ireland League. 'I think over the last two or three years in particular, the link with the clubs and the branch has probably gotten a little bit closer. You see more lads getting released, whether that be academy or professional guys. 'Which obviously raises the standard and then raises the standard of the players who aren't professional themselves. That has probably just had a rolling effect over the last couple of years and it is reflected in the quality of the league now and how good some of the games are.' A native of Salthill in Galway, Donnellan admits he was the 'odd one out' in his family when it came to choosing rugby as his sporting pursuit. His twin sisters Amie and Sarah have both been heavily involved in Gaelic football with the latter representing her county in an All-Ireland Minor 'A' Football Championship final in 2015 before winning an All-Ireland junior club title with Salthill/Knocknacarra seven years later. His cousin Céin D'Arcy is also a key player for the Galway senior footballers at the moment and Donnellan tries to keep a close watch on his progress with the Tribesmen. 'I kind of keep an eye on him more so than anything, but the little bits I have seen of the new [Gaelic football] rules obviously suit him. I think it's great for the game as well. Even the whole two points outside the Big 'D' now is a great addition to the game,' Donnellan added. 'Céin is going well, it suits him down to the ground. A fine big, tall young fella. I wish I had gotten the height genes, but I missed out on that side!'
USA Today
19-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin top transfer target, potential left tackle replacement commits elsewhere
Wisconsin top transfer target, potential left tackle replacement commits elsewhere Wisconsin transfer portal target Joe Cotton committed to Cincinnati on Friday. The former South Dakota left tackle was one of the portal's top available players at his position. Just three days ago, the Badgers, Cincinnati Bearcats and Oklahoma Sooners were listed as the three teams with a visit scheduled. They emerged from a large pack of top programs to express interest in the experienced offensive tackle. Cotton commits to Cincinnati as a four-star transfer prospect, ranked specifically as the portal's No. 114 overall player and the No. 16 offensive tackle, those rankings including transfers from the winter window. He so with two years of eligibility remaining. Wisconsin is in search of both a starting option and depth at left tackle after projected starter Kevin Heywood went down with a season-ending ACL injury. Cotton figured to be a perfect fill-in at the position, as he started 27 consecutive games at left tackle over the last two seasons at South Dakota. His strong play earned a Football Championship Subdivision Freshman All-American selection in 2023, then a second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honor this past season. The Badgers will now likely return to the drawing board, in search of much-needed stability at one of the most important positions on the field. The team still has time to do so, with the spring transfer window still in its early stages. For more on Wisconsin's spring transfer additions and departures, bookmark out our 2025 spring window tracker. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
