#EnergiaAIL Final 2022/23 – Clontarf Player Profiles
Clontarf Rugby Feature, Castle Avenue, Dublin 25/4/2023 Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady
The teams have been named for Sunday’s Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 1A final between Clontarf and Terenure College.
Clontarf Head Coach Andy Wood has made five personnel changes to his starting line-up from the semi-final win over Young Munster.
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In the back-line, Aitzol Arenzana-King comes onto the right wing for Seni Reilly Ashiru and Hugh Cooney is named at centre.
Michael Brown switches onto the left wing, meaning Cian O’Donoghue is named among the replacements. Steve Crosbie starts at out half.
Up front, Mick Kearney is named in the second row to accommodate the return of Alex Soroka to flanker.
Ben Murphy and Brian Deeny are listed among the replacements, which brings to four (along with Alex Soroka and Aitzol Arenzana King) the number of Clontarf players selected who have also featured for Leinster in the BKT United Rugby Championship this season.
10 of the starting 15 for Clontarf also started in last year’s decider including the front row of Ivan Soroka, Dylan Donnellan and Ben Griffin – the trio have started #EnergiaAIL 13 games together this season.
Donnellan alongside Tony Ryan are the two ever-presents this season, having started all 18 regular season games and the semi-final.
Matt D’Arcy captains the side and is one of 10 north Dubliners in the squad. The centre is playing in his sixth final, having won two and lost three. Fellow Clontarf native Cathal O’Flynn is named on the bench in what is his last game for the club after 12 seasons at All-Ireland League level.
In total 44 players have lined out for Clontarf in the Energia All-Ireland League this season, 35 of them starting a game.
Terenure College’s squad also retains 10 starters from the 2022 final with Stephen O’Neill, Callum Smith, Marcus Hanan and Adam Melia all coming in and Adam Tuite coming up from the bench.
Head Coach Sean Skehan has made 2 changes from the semi-final win over Cork Constitution – Harrison Brewer played 30 minutes off the bench in that game and returns to captain the side from the second row.
Stephen O’Neill, who missed out on last year’s final through injury, also returns.
Sunday May 7th 2023
Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 1A Final
Clontarf v Terenure College, Aviva Stadium, 3pm (TG4)
CLONTARF: 15 Tadhg BIRD, 14 Aitzol ARENZANA-KING, 13 Hugh COONEY, 12 Matt D’ARCY (c), 11 Michael BROWN; 10 Steve CROSBIE, 9 Angus LLOYD; 1 Ivan SOROKA, 2 Dylan DONNELLAN, 3 Ben GRIFFIN, 4 Fionn GILBERT, 5 Mick KEARNEY, 6 Alex SOROKA, 7 JJ O’DEA, 8 Tony RYAN.
Replacements: 16 Cathal O’FLYNN, 17 Darragh BOLGER, 18 Ed KELLY, 19 Ben MURPHY, 20 Conor KELLY, 21 Cian O’DONOGHUE, 22 JP PHELAN, 23 Brian DEENY.
TERENURE COLLEGE RFC: 15 Adam LAGRUE, 14 Stephen O’NEILL, 13 Colm DE BUITLÉAR, 12 Caolan DOOLEY, 11 Craig ADAMS; 10 Callum SMITH, 9 Alan BENNIE; 1 Marcus HANAN, 2 Levi VAUGHAN, 3 Adam TUITE, 4 Harrison BREWER (c), 5 Michael MELIA, 6 Adam MELIA, 7 Luke CLOHESSY, 8 Jordan COGHLAN.
Replacements: 16 Robbie SMYTH, 17 Campbell CLASSON, 18 Andrew KEATING, 19 Matthew CAFFREY, 20 Conall BOOMER, 21 Conor MCKEON, 22 Cathal MARSH, 23 Henry MCERLEAN.
Click Here To View Terenure College Player Profiles
#1 Ivan Soroka
Age: 28
Height: 180cm
Weight: 110kg
Home Town: Kyiv, Ukraine
Secondary School: Belvedere College SJ
Previous Club(s):UCD RFC
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade, Development, ‘A’, Ireland Club XV
Professional Experience: Connacht Rugby (Last Appearance: April 2017)
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 19
One volunteer he has been helped by: Paul Gorman – “Helped my S&C training hugely”
#2 Dylan Donnellan
Age: 28
Height: 180cm
Weight: 103kg
Home Town: Salthill Knocknacarra, Galway
Secondary School: Clongowes
Previous Club(s):Galway Corinthians
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade, Ireland Age-Grade
Professional Experience: Biarritz Olympique, Yorkshire Carnegie
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 19
One volunteer he has been helped by: Jim Barden – “Always in the club doing any job that needs to be done.”
#3 Ben Griffin
Age: 21
Height: 188cm
Weight: 127kg
Home Town: Dromcondra, Dublin
Secondary School: Castleknock college
Previous Club(s): Coolmine RFC
Representative Experience: Leinster ‘A’
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 19
One volunteer he has been helped by: Michael McDonough – “Youth coach who made me fall in love with the game and brought out the best in me as a youth player.”
#4 Fionn Gilbert
Age: 22
Height: 200cm
Weight: 120kg
Home Town: Marino, Dublin
Secondary School: Mount Temple Comprehensive
Previous Club(s): N/A
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 18
One volunteer he has been helped by: Gary Gilbert – “Father and coach from minis up to youths”
#5 Michael Kearney
Age: 32
Height: 197cm
Weight: 114kg
Home Town: Clontarf, Dublin
Secondary School: Mount Temple Comprehensive
Previous Club(s): N/A
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade, Emerging Ireland
Professional Experience: Connacht, Leinster, Zebre, Ulster (Last Appearance: March 2022)
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 17
One volunteer he has been helped by: Stephen Maher – “Gave me good advice from a young age.”
#6 Alex Soroka
Age: 22
Height: 195
Weight: 110kg
Home Town: Dublin
Secondary School: Belvedere College SJ
Previous Club(s): N/A
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade, Ireland Age-Grade.
Professional Experience: Leinster Rugby (Last Appearance: April 2023)
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 3
One volunteer he has been helped by: Gary Gilbert – “Coached me for 10 years.”
#7 JJ O’Dea
Age: 25
Height: 195cm
Weight: 115kg
Home Town: Navan, Co. Meath
Secondary School: Saint Patrick’s Classical School, Navan
Previous Club(s): Navan RFC, Old Wesley RFC
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade, Ireland Age-Grade, Irish Universities, Ireland Club XV
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 16
One volunteer he has been helped by: Maurice Hartery
#8 Tony Ryan
Age: 31
Height: 185cm
Weight: 105kg
Home Town: Enniscorthy, Wexford
Secondary School: St Marys CBS Enniscorthy
Previous Club(s): Enniscorthy RFC
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade, Leinster Junior, Leinster ‘A’, Ireland Club XV
Professional Experience: Leinster Rugby (Last Appearance: October 2015)
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 19
One volunteer he has been helped by: Pat McHale – “Helped me integrate into a new club.”
#9 Angus Lloyd
Age: 30
Height: 175
Weight: 78kg
Home Town: Dun Laoghaire, Dublin
Secondary School: Blackrock College
Previous Club(s): Dublin University FC
Representative Experience: Ireland Club XV
Professional Experience: Connacht, Munster, Ulster (Last Appearance: November 2019)
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 18
One volunteer he has been helped by: Andy Wood – “Can speak to him about anything.”
#10 Steve Crosbie
Age: 30
Height: 186cm
Weight: 97kg
Home Town: Kinsale, Cork.
Secondary School: St. Gerard’s
Previous Club(s): Old Belvedere
Representative Experience: Ireland Age-Grade
Professional Experience: Leinster, Whanganui, Munster, Connacht (Last Appearance: December 2017)
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 7
One volunteer he has been helped by: Valentine Tauimiti – “He was the main reason why I came to Clontarf after speaking to him about the parish mentality within the club.”
#11 Michael Brown
Age: 30
Height: 188cm
Weight: 101kg
Home Town: Sallins, Kildare
Secondary School: Newbridge College
Previous Club(s): Naas RFC, Newbridge College, Barnhall RFC, Boroughmuir RFC, Hammarby RFC, Clontarf RFC
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade, Ireland CLub XV
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 2
One volunteer he has been helped by: Mick Quinn – “Mick is a good positive man to have around the dressing room to have a chat and a laugh with before any game. Always calmed the nerves.”
#12 Matt D’Arcy (Captain)
Age: 32
Height: 196cm
Weight: 96kg
Home Town: Clontarf, Dublin.
Secondary School: Belvedere College SJ
Previous Club(s): N/A
Representative Experience: Ireland Club XV
Professional Experience: Munster Rugby
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 16
One volunteer he has been helped by: Mick Quinn – “Senior team kit man. All round gent – showed me what it meant to be a club man.”
#13 Hugh Cooney
Age: 19
Height: 182cm
Weight: 92kg
Home Town: Blackrock, Dublin
Secondary School: Blackrock College
Previous Club(s): Blackrock College RFC
Representative Experience: Leinster Age Grade, Leinster ‘A’
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 7
One volunteer he has been helped by: Paul Gorman – “Helped me to join the club.”
#14 Aitzol Arenzana King
Age: 20
Height: 190cm
Weight: 97kg
Home Town: Gormanston, Meath
Secondary School:
Previous Club(s): Balbriggan RFC
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade, Leinster ‘A’, Ireland Age-Grade
Professional Experience: Leinster Rugby (Last Appearance: January 2023)
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 7
One volunteer he has been helped by: Andy Wood – “Great mentor and coach.”
#15 Tadhg Bird
Age: 23
Height: 177cm
Weight: 86kg
Home Town: Boardsmill, Meath
Secondary School: Cistercian College Roscrea
Previous Club(s): Navan RFC
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 15
One volunteer he has been helped by: Paul Gorman
#16 Cathal O’Flynn
Age: 32
Height: 155cm
Weight: 90kg
Home Town: Clontarf, Dublin
Secondary School: Belvedere College SJ
Previous Club(s): Old Belvedere
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 6
One volunteer he has been helped by: Mick Doyle – “Mini Rugby coach from U8.”
#17 Darragh Bolger
Age: 23
Height: 186cm
Weight: 115kg
Home Town: Dublin
Secondary School: Portmarnock Community School
Previous Club(s): N/A
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade, Ireland Age-Grade
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 13
One volunteer he has been helped by: Brendan Fanning
#18 Ed Kelly
Age: 32
Height: 198cm
Weight: 115kg
Home Town: Cashel, Tipperary
Secondary School: Rockwell College
Previous Club(s): Cashel RFC, UL Bohemian RFC
Representative Experience: Munster Age-Grade, Munster ‘A’, Ireland Club XV
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 16
One volunteer he has been helped by: Pat McHale – “Support when injured in my first year here.”
#19 Ben Murphy
Age: 22
Height: 175cm
Weight: 80kg
Home Town: Bray, Wicklow
Secondary School: Pres Bray
Previous Club(s): Old Wesley
Provincial/Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade, Ireland Age-Grade
Professional Experience: Leinster (Last Appearance: April 2023)
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 9
One volunteer he has been helped by: Richie Murphy
#20 Conor Kelly
Age: 24
Height: 180cm
Weight: 88kg
Home Town: Portlaoise, Laois
Secondary School: Cistercian College Roscrea
Previous Club(s): Portlaoise RFC
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade, Ireland Age-Grade
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 16
One volunteer he has been helped by: Mick Quinn
#21 Cian O’Donoghue
Age: 27
Height: 185cm
Weight: 105kg
Home Town: Castleknock, Dublin
Secondary School: Clongowes
Previous Club(s): Coolmine RFC
Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 15
One volunteer he has been helped by: Paul Gorman
#22 JP Phelan
Age: 28
Height: 188cm
Weight: 105kg
Home Town: Straffan, Kildare
Secondary School: Newbridge College
Previous Club(s): Naas RFC, UCD RFC, Garryowen FC
Provincial/Representative Experience: Leinster Age-Grade, Ireland Age-Grade, Munster ‘A’
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 11
One volunteer he has been helped by: Sam O’Byrne
#23 Brian Deeny
Age: 23
Height: 199cm
Weight: 116cm
Home Town: Wexford Town
Secondary School: St. Peter’s College Wexford
Previous Club(s): Wexford Wanderers
Representative Experience: Ireland Age-Grade, Emerging Ireland
Professional Experience: Leinster Rugby (Last Appearance: April 2023)
Energia AIL Appearances 22/23: 2
One volunteer he has been helped by: Andy Wood – “He helped me massively in my development as a rugby player and a person.”
Energia All-Ireland League Appearances are where a player has appeared on a team-sheet in the 2022/23 season.