The Connacht man missed the second half of last season through injury.
EVEN THOUGH HE had established himself as a key man for Ireland in 2022 and 2023, showing that he was a proper international wing, Mack Hansen had worries as he watched on from the outside in the second half of last season.
That’s why he felt a sense of relief when Andy Farrell named him on the right wing last week as Hansen made his comeback for Ireland against the All Blacks. “A lot of guys really stepped up and played great, like Nashy and Jamie and those sort of guys coming through. So yeah things like that do go through your head and to get it again was just it was another dream come true almost.”
They’ve been up in the wee hours many, many times to watch him on TV in recent years, so this third visit to Ireland to see him play in the flesh was very welcome. Hansen was able to get involved early in the game, enjoying a couple of touches as he resumed his previous role as a first receiver for Ireland, that playmaking ability giving him a point of difference over other wings.“I found it was a pretty hard game for me to get into as a winger. I felt sort of every time I tried to get involved and get a hand on the ball, it just seemed to fall apart a little bit. But you get games like that, unfortunately.
He’ll be hoping to make a big impact in the air given that a new directive to referees regarding obstruction on kick chasers has suddenly opened up one-on-one aerial contests in a huge way. Hansen himself was close to coming up with a couple of big wins under kicks last weekend.“It’s a real 50/50 on who’s going to be getting it,” said Hansen of the change.
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