IT WAS A short break, not altogether unwelcome, but now it’s back to business.
John Muldoon began the year by devastating rugby-loving beard enthusiasts by doing away with his impressive face furniture.
The change was in aid of a good cause, though as far as personal comfort went, it was a double edged sword.
“There were a couple of days there where I was wishing I had it to help me out,” says the Connacht captain, before admitting that not everybody was as sad as The42 was to see the bristles go.
“It was very mixed I’d say. Some of the lads were very disappointed when I got rid of it and other people were telling me it was brilliant that I got rid of it.
“I did enjoy having it, but for the last week or so it was just starting to get too long. It was starting to disrupt my food, to be honest. Sitting down eating would take a bit longer than it should and I’d take about 10 napkins at a go to clean up the place. So once it became that much of a hassle I had to get rid of it.
“I’m not a fan of shaving, to be honest. It doesn’t get shaved too often and when it does it doesn’t stay short too long.”
After the break in growth, came a well-deserved break in play. For a side with a small squad like Connacht, the pre-Six Nations window wasn’t so much a barrier to momentum as a chance to recuperate and bounce back.
While some players use the three-week break to head for sunnier climes to get some sunshine into their skin, Muldoon preferred to head for home. Make up for lost family time around Christmas, eat some home-cooked meals, enjoy a drink, attend his niece’s christening and generally clear his head in cool air around the farm.
“We had been through a block of nine games from September to November then had a week off. Then we had a block of 10 games and, since being in Connacht, I think that’s the toughest 10 games we’ve had in terms of the teams we were up against.
“We’ve never in the past had three inter-pros over Christmas, then followed by a big battle at home to Edinburgh and Exeter at home was another physical game.
“In terms of the opposition we had it was a very tough 10 games. It was great to get away from training and away from the environment for a couple of days to refocus and get that freshness back in everybody’s legs again.
“It was great to come back in this week and catch up with all the lads again. Find out what they were up to, where they went etc. It’s just mentally good to get away and physically to get away from that environment, because it can be a bit of a fish bowl at times — saying that, it’s great to be back.”
It’s an exciting time to be back.
Connacht are marching into a pivotal point in their season with Scarlets tomorrow heading up the first of three trips to Wales in this four-week block of fixtures. With the western province nestled in sixth place – exactly where they need to be at the end of the season – Muldoon is driven by the prospect of his home province earning a Champions Cup berth for themselves.
Their Heineken Cup exploits came thanks to a rising co-efficient as a nation after Munster and Leinster dominated the trophy. This time, the merit-based entry requirements many assumed would keep them out, can bring them into the big time.
“[The squad] obviously know that it’s in our hands. It’s probably the first year we have it in our grasp to get into the Champions Cup on our own back. The task we had, to come ahead of one of the Irish teams effectively meant we needed to be in the top three or four.
“This year we do have an opportunity to be in the top four, but ultimately, it’s the top six that gets us through. so that’s a massive aim for us.
“At the moment, if the league finishes for us in the morning, we’re there; so we know that destiny’s in our own hands, we’re not relying on anyone else to do whatever.
“There’s more an air of excitement about getting back in now. It was tough, physically and mentally draining having all those games in a row – especially in a small squad with a couple of injuries – it was nice to refresh the batteries. But I don’t think there’ll be any issue with focus.
“We’ll knuckle down for the next couple of weeks and we know there are big, big games coming. When you play a sport ultimately, you want to be playing in top games and these could be really big games for the province and for the history of the province.
“We’ve obviously been the poor relation in Irish rugby for the last few years. But we’re starting to get better over the last couple of years and this is the start of a push for top six, top four all the time.”
