Time to front up

CONNACHT stalwart John Muldoon says Munster might be distracted by next week’s Heineken Cup semi-final clash in France when they visit the Sportsground on Easter Saturday (6.15pm).

Fresh from an embarrassing drubbing at the hands of Ulster at Ravenhill last weekend, Muldoon believes there is a kick in Connacht. “It doesn’t get easy when you’ve Munster coming to your backyard but it’s probably the best time to meet them.

“We’ll be hurting a bit from last weekend, they’ll be hurting a bit from losing to Glasgow but, at the same time, they’ve got an eye on Toulon (in Heineken Cup semi-final) the week after,” said the workhorse flanker.

This is Connacht’s third last game of the season, and their final inter-pro – the squad is desperate to secure a first win against an Irish province for Pat Lam in his debut season at the helm.

Both these teams took lumps out of each other at a particularly tetchy encounter in Limerick earlier in the season and another bruising battle is on the cards at College Road. “It promises to be a great game at a packed Sportsground with a bit of a bite in the air. I’m sure it won’t disappoint,” said Muldoon.

“It is our last inter-pro game; it is a big opportunity for us to lay down a marker that we have improved. A goal of ours is to get the most ever points in the Rabo. We’ve got three games left and this is the start of our last three games and the fact that it’s a derby makes it even better. The last day in Thomond, it was a bit niggly, and that kind of shows what derby games are all about.

“Everybody gets on well off the pitch but when you walk through the white line things change and you’re not friends anymore and it’s that rivalry that makes the crowds come. No matter what sport you’re playing, it’s what a derby game is about. From our point of view it’s probably the best game to have: We love inter-pros, we love home games and we’ve been tight in a few of them this year and it promises to be a great game. Hopefully, with home support – the Connacht fans have been excellent this season – we can rise to the occasion” added Muldoon

Centre Eoin Griffin, who will be appearing in his last inter-provincial before he transfers to London Irish this Summer, says Connacht are hurting after losing so comprehensively to Ulster, which is a big motivator this weekend.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.