Aly Muldowney is aiming to prove a point for Moseley
Oct 9 2009 by Brian Dick, Birmingham Post
Had rugby’s oval ball bounced with its customary unpredictability this weekend’s Moseley-Plymouth match could have been a very different experience for rising star Aly Muldowney.
By his own admission the in-form second row was “extremely close” to leaving Moseley in the summer in favour of a move to Brickfields and Saturday would therefore have marked his first return to Billesley Common.
But it was a summit meeting with coaches Ian Smith and Don Caskie which convinced Muldowney to reject the overtures of Graham Dawe to remain loyal to the club that has taken his burgeoning career to a new level.
And while the 26-year-old insists he has no regrets about remaining true to the Red and Black cause, he also intends to compound Plymouth’s sense of grievance by leading his team to what would be a third straight Championship victory – a kind of ‘look what you could have won’ routine that could propel Mose into the top five after a sluggish start to their campaign.
The irony is not lost on the former Stourbridge forward: “I was extremely close to going there,” Muldowney admitted.
“They are a big club with a massive following and a very good team, it would have been very exciting to have played for them.
“But I am very happy I stayed. As soon as I sat down with Ian and Don I made my mind up on the spot.”
Key to Muldowney’s thought process was the success Moseley achieved last term.
In many ways the National Trophy triumph at Twickenham glossed over what was an even more credible performance in breaking into the top half of the division for the first time in nearly a decade.
It really will get exciting if Moseley do that again this year and end their campaign on the highest stage of all.
That, however, is to put several carts before their horses. Five games into the season Moseley have lost more than they have won, although there is the undeniable sensation of momentum building.
Individually Muldowney’s ball-carrying is back to its dynamic best and collectively Moseley are swatting aside the sort of teams that used to confound them.
A first ever tier-two win over Doncaster was followed up with a maiden victory at Butts Park Arena last Friday.
And there’s more to come. “We are not where we were at the end of last season yet,” Muldowney said.
“But every week since the Cornish Pirates game we have made vast improvements.
“We are still leaking soft tries, though. There were two more on Friday night.”
And if Plymouth want for anything it is not physical bulk, the failure to land Muldowney notwithstanding.
They will come to the Common intent on bullying their hosts and trying out their former target’s new-found belief.
“Am I playing the rugby of my life? Probably. But then I’ve had the best pre-season I’ve had for three or four years. I’ve been doing a lot of extra running sessions with John Caves and have upped my weights. As a result I’m not feeling my back so much. It’s always going to be a problem but one I am finding easy to manage at the moment.”
For that reason Muldowney will continue in the engine room, possibly alongside the fit again Andy Hall.
Tristan Roberts and Andy Borgen are also back in the frame after recovering from injury although the back three trio of Ryan Wilson, James Rodwell and Mark Evans remain absent.
