John Muldoon makes seamless transition from player to coach

By John Fallon

John Muldoon believes a pre-season game in Bristol tonight is the perfect way to complete the severance of his link with his native Connacht.

Muldoon, who brought the curtain down on his 15-year playing career with Connacht the end of last season, has moved to Bristol where he has taken up a role as defence coach in the management team headed up by Pat Lam.

Muldoon said the transition from player to coach has not been too difficult and that his role as captain over the years ensured he had an insight into the demands involved.

It’s been good, I have settled in well. It’s been a matter of trying to get to know everyone but the fact that there are a good few ex-Connacht players and management there has helped.

“The days are much longer, the time and the load you have to put in as a coach is much greater but it’s good working with Pat and the lads again. As captain I would have been privy to a lot of things in Connacht so that has helped with the transition from player to coach,” said Muldoon.

There is a sizeable Connacht contingent now with Bristol with lock Aly Muldowney and flanker Jake Heenan, both members of the PRO12 winning side, linking up while backs coach Conor McPhillips and head of fitness Paul Bunce along with Lam.

It has been a hectic period for Muldoon. He finished his playing career landing a conversion in a 47-10 hammering of Leinster at the Sportsground, a few days later his wife Lorna gave birth to their first child Scott and then a couple of weeks after that Muldoon moved to Bristol.

The Muldoon family have set up home in Bristol and pre-season has been busy but he knows that it will be a bit surreal this evening trying to plot the downfall of a Connacht side that he went into the trenches with for a decade and a half.

“It will be strange coming up against all the familiar faces, I’ve never played against Connacht in any shape or form. But I think it will be good for me, to break that chord with Connacht.”