April 2010 and John Muldoon is perched on a table swinging his legs while listening to coach Michael Bradley’s interview with the media. It is a couple of weeks shy of the biggest match in the province’s history at the Galway Sportsground, Connacht against Toulon in the Challenge Cup semi-final. After Bradley exits, Muldoon is asked the same question: “How would you feel about moving your quarter-final to Thomond Park?”
“No bloody way, this is our home, our ground. Why would anyone want to take our advantage away? We love it, the rain, wind, or sunshine, and we love it that everyone hates it.”
Seven seasons later, Muldoon, captain again, and one of only two players from 2010 still at the Sportsground, will celebrate his 300th appearance in both Pro12 and European fixtures against Leinster – the most capped Connacht player who also has made the highest number of appearances and played the most minutes in the Celtic competition.
Much has changed at the College Road venue in his time. No longer regarded as the same happy hunting ground for visitors, the playing field is more level; the Clan Stand is testament to the growth of Connacht support; and the newly built boardroom houses their recent reward, the Pro12 trophy, a symbol of a a province reborn. What has not changed is Connacht’s pillar on the pitch – 34-year-old Muldoon, who started in the academy nearly 17 seasons ago.
His body has absorbed punishment with little reward – three Ireland caps and that trophy won in Murrayfield – but Muldoon still arrives at the Sportsground wearing a smile.
“I still enjoy it,” he says. “When I get up in the morning and the sun is shining, it’s lovely, but even if it’s raining, I go in there with a smile on my face. I don’t know anything else. It suits me, my personality.
“Connacht has given me a hell of a lot. It has brought me to a lot of places, given me a life and a lifestyle – a lot of things I couldn’t have dreamed of. It has also tested my character in a lot of ways that people never can,” says Muldoon.
Younger sibling
From rural GAA stock, Muldoon’s brother Ivan introduced his younger sibling to rugby at Portumna Community School, while Galwegians RFC later helped shape his development. “I realised early that I probably wasn’t good enough to be in Connacht. I got a contract based on people leaving, and I gave up college to take it. I only played four games that first season [2003-04], but I worked bloody hard, worked extremely hard. I put more and more effort in and I fought harder and harder. The following season I got a lot of game time.
“The more I played, the better I got, and after that season I ended up winning the player of the year three seasons in a row. It changed my mentality and everything I wanted to do. I always wanted success more than recognition. Even last year when winning, I knew the journey was huge and special, but all I wanted to do was go on and win the next match. It didn’t really sink in for a good few days.
“It wasn’t just the trophy. It was going on a journey and finishing the journey. I think everyone mentally had prepared themselves to win the game, and you can’t bottle that feeling. It never came into my head that we weren’t going to do anything else but win. Of course it’s bloody easy to say that now we have the trophy.”
It was a title years in the making, boosted by the arrival of head coach Pat Lam.
“Things were on the up with Eric [Elwood] and the age profile was young, but bringing in Pat, Bundee [Aki], Tom [McCartney] and a few others helped develop it and sell it to the wider province. I took it for granted and probably Eric [Elwood] did, that people wanted to follow Connacht because it was their team. But Pat went out and made sure we were telling them we were their team – saying here we are, here are the players, here’s our team, come and meet them. He got it right, it’s been a phenomenal success.”
It has been a long overdue reward for Muldoon who opted to stay put despite offers elsewhere.
“I wouldn’t swap it. I have always been afraid if I did leave and they were a success, I’d miss it, and I wouldn’t have stayed if I didn’t believe we could grow. But there were times I questioned if we going in the right direction or if people wanted us to.
Jealous
“I felt I was at the height of my career and this was my best chance to succeed and win something and I felt we were not progressing. Other teams had so much success and we could only stand there and watch, and that hurt.
“Obviously I was jealous. It was just so tough to watch them doing so well and I felt every time we improved, they could go out to the market and buy a Rocky Elsom, and we were back to square one again, and it was a frustrating time.
“We were down the bottom of the table for a lot of reasons and in many ways it puts into perspective what we have achieved over the last few years.
“I am proud of having playing for Ireland, disappointed I didn’t get a few more goes. Did I have a few injuries at the time? Yes. Did that affect it? Possibly, but I’m a realist, and I am big enough to know there were lads who were ahead of me at the time.”
Now in the twilight of his career, Muldoon, having already played 25 fixtures this season, is shaping up for the next chapter and another year at the Sportsground where, rewinding to 2010, Connacht failed to beat the illustrious Toulon, losing out 19-12.
But Muldoon, who stole the opening two lineouts that day, remains very much the Connacht warrior. As one who may have defied his own limitations, Muldoon will go into his 18th season at the Sportsground looking to continue to exert his influence both on and off the field.
“I always thought we would be successful and that’s ultimately why I didn’t leave. I don’t see myself as the true Connacht man, but the fact that I’ve been around the place and at the coalface so long, people see it that way.”
