Connacht winger makes a sparkling international debut for Ireland

MACK Hansen was ready to try something different, although there has been something of a poetic licence taken with the telling of the story that it was a chance meeting in his local pub in Canberra that led to him making a switch that culminated in a man-of-the-match display on his debut for Ireland last Saturday

The Canberra native was indeed on friendly terms with Jackson Friend, the son of Connacht head coach, Andy, but he already was on Connacht’s radar, no doubt helped by the act that Friend is also from Canberra

The two spoke, Friend offered a contract, Hansen accepted, and he has been the breakout star of this year’s URC campaign, leading categories such as try scorer (6), defenders beaten (38), and metres gained (556).

That led to a call-up to train with the Irish squad ahead of last year’s November internationals, and then being included in this year’s Six Nations squad, before last Saturday’s senior Irish debut, where he produced arguably the most memorable senior Irish rugby debut in 20 years as he looked right at home on Ireland’s left wing in Saturday’s 29-7 win over Wales.

All that was missing was a try of his own to crown a brilliant performance, but he did deliver the next best thing, setting up provincial team-mate Bundee Aki for Ireland’s first try just three minutes into the game.

Not since the quintet of Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer, John Hayes, Simon Easterby, and Shane Horgan made their international bow against Scotland in 2000 – with Horgan scoring the first of his 21 international tries in that game – has a debut by an Irish player caught the imagination like that of Hansen last weekend.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.