What a way to finish your Connacht career.
John Muldoon bowed out after 17 seasons at Connacht by helping his home province to an emphatic 47-10 victory over Leinster.
The Connacht captain played all 80 minutes in his side’s final game of their Guinness PRO14 season and even kicked the final conversion after Caolán Blade had dashed over for a late try.
Muldoon booted it into the middle of Galway city, the crowd went wild! https://t.co/OzyeEWUlRK
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) April 28, 2018
Following the game, Muldoon and lock Andrew Browne, who is also leaving after 13 seasons at Connacht, were both given extra special farewell tributes and the fand waved goodbye to a few other departing stars.
The Portumna native was then handed a microphone and asked to say a few words. Muldoon promised to be quick but anyone that knows the man must expect to get full value for money from the inspirational back-row.
“I’ll try not to get too emotional,” he began, before stating how proud and privileged he was to have been a part of the Connacht story for so long. He commented:
“I said to the lads before we went out, just do ourselves and do the group proud. And I thought they were magnificent today.
“I thought when we won 20-10 in Murrayfield [in the PRO12 final] that it couldn’t get much better but I look down there [at the scoreboard] and 47-10… Jesus!”
"I thought when we won 20-10 in Murrayfield that it couldn't get any better but I look down there and 47-10…. Jesus!"
Class from @JohnMuldoon8 pic.twitter.com/aiSwssf23R— Pat McCarry (@patmccarry) April 28, 2018
He moved on to that conversion that made it 47-10 and apologised to Leinster, telling the beaten side it was ‘nothing personal but it was a nice feeling all the same’. Muldoon added:
“That’s what we’re capable of. That’s what we can do, and just f***ing back the lads! Sorry!”
That one got a good laugh too.
Muldoon is off to Bristol Rugby next season to take up a coaching role, under old Connacht boss Pat Lam, but he told the fans at The Sportsground ‘this will always be my home and hopefully we’ll be back some day’.
Connacht fans would like nothing better than a Muldoon return, the sooner the better.
