New dad Clarke aims to keep cup dream alive

Connacht captain Craig Clarke, normally a self-effacing Kiwi, confesses he is on “cloud nine” at present.

Not only is he leading his new club into the final pool match with a Heineken Cup quarter-final spot up for grabs but he is also celebrating the birth in Galway of his first child.

“It certainly adds another dimension to your life, changes your perspective, and I am on cloud nine a little bit,” the former Super 15-winning captain said.