Connacht lose their captain John Muldoon

Connacht’s Amlin Challenge Cup loss to Harlequins cost the team more than they initially realised as it has been revealed that captain John Muldoon broke his arm in the Sportsground clash.

Muldoon picked up the injury in the dying stages of the Pool 1 deafeat on Friday night and the loss was Connacht’s second defeat to Connacht in the space of five days.

The injury is to the same arm the back-row also broke in the summer playing for Ireland against New Zealand.

Head coach Eric Elwood will now be without his influential captain for key Magners League fixtures over the festive period.

Muldoon joins an increasing casualty list in Galway with Ray Ofisa, Johnny O’Connor and Michael Swift sidelined.

He will be hoping the 28-year-old will be fit in time for the final two round of Amlin Challenge Cup pool action, when Connacht travel to Bayonne and then host I Cavalieri Estra at the end of January.