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'Since I left school, club rugby I was fine but I felt I wasn't really kicking on'
Ireland wing Mack Hansen admits he previously had more desire to travel the world than play international rugby as he seeks to cap his first Guinness Six Nations campaign with silverware.
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Australia-born Hansen has been recalled for Saturday’s decisive Dublin game against Scotland, with the Irish bidding to clinch the Triple Crown and snatch the championship title.
At the start of the year, the 23-year-old – whose mother hails from Cork – had little expectation of making Andy Farrell’s squad for the tournament.
But, buoyed by a string of standout displays for Connacht and growing self belief, he is delighted to be satisfying his wanderlust while simultaneously making a mark at Test level.
“I’ll be honest with you mate, it wasn’t until maybe last year that it was a huge thing in my mind to play international rugby,” said Hansen, whose Ireland debut came in the opening-weekend win over Wales.
“I always wanted to travel around the world and play in as many countries and teams as I could and just get the most out of footie.
“There was just a bit of a free spirit behind it, I just wanted to see as much as I could.
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“But I’ve realised that international footie pretty much does that for you for free. It does take you around many, many places in the world and you just get to do it with a huge group of blokes and it doesn’t get much more fun than that.
“I have loved every second of it. All the lads here are great fellas.”
Hansen last year left Canberra-based club Brumbies to move to Galway before training with the Ireland squad during the autumn.
He is already making rapid progress with his travel bucket list, having ticked off Paris and London in recent weeks.
The former Australia Under-20 international claimed his maiden Test try in the 30-24 round-two defeat in France and, following a cameo role at home to Italy a fortnight later, had to make do with watching last weekend’s 32-15 win over England from the Twickenham stands after being left out of Farrell’s match-day 23.
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Asked what prompted him to take the sport more seriously, he replied: “I just started to back myself a lot more; I was getting to a point where I don’t know if I had that extra bit of confidence I have now.
“Ever since I left school, club rugby I was fine but I just felt I wasn’t really kicking on that extra step at Brumbies. Once I got a bit more time at Brumbies, I realised maybe I am good enough to get there.
“The next step for me was coming over here and I just thought I’m going to give it everything I’ve got and play my style of footie. And if works out, it does, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. It was definitely just a little bit of self belief.
“There is always going to be people who think you’re not good enough or aren’t going to be backing you the full way.
“None of that really matters as long as you back yourself and give it your all – that’s all you can do at the end of the day.”
Following a round-four break to reflect on his rapid elevation, Hansen will line up on the right flank against the Scots in place of the injured Andrew Conway.
Victory over Gregor Townsend’s men will guarantee the Triple Crown, while Ireland’s hopes of pinching the ultimate prize rely on England upsetting Grand Slam-chasing France in the evening kick-off.
“It’s great (to be back), I’m absolutely stoked,” said Hansen.
“Any opportunity to play international rugby is a privilege so to be back in and with a Triple Crown on the line is an awesome feeling.
“It would be great for Irish rugby as well, especially leading into a World Cup year.
“If we get the win then we’ve done our job and we’ve done as much as we can. We’ll see how it all pans out.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments