WE GOT MORE evidence of Mack Hansen’s unique character in the pre-match show on BT Sport last Friday night when the Connacht wing revealed one of his latest tattoos.
Hansen told presenter Craig Doyle how his room-mate, Oisín Dowling, had encouraged him to get an ink version of the second row’s face, offering to pay for it.
Hansen went all in and now has a tattoo of Dowling’s face on his leg.
The Ireland international has won over all of his Connacht and Ireland team-mates this season with his laidback personality, while his work on the pitch has helped Hansen win many more fans.
He was a lively presence for Connacht against Leinster last Friday night in the first leg of their Champions Cup Round of 16 tie, getting 16 touches of the ball and invariably catching the eye in doing so.
There were mazy, meandering cross-field runs, strong carries, plenty of passes, and one delightful chip, regather, and offload that created a chance for Connacht down the left in the first half.
While also completing all eight of his tackle attempts, this was a performance that underlined just how much of a danger Hansen is to opposition defences. Leinster emerged with a 26-21 lead to carry into this Friday’s second leg back in Dublin, but they will be on high alert as they look to limit the Connacht wing’s influence.
“He’s an exceptional player, dangerous and elusive in broken play but at the same time you would know he played out-half before,” said Leinster centre Garry Ringrose, who played with Hansen during the Six Nations.
“Coming from the Brumbies, he has a real rugby intelligence and footballing ability to back it up. It’s not just that he is dangerous from broken play, he has a bit of everything.
“He is one of the threats they have, you just have to be on high alert. You could be three guys away from him and be ready to be challenged defensively with what he can produce.”
It was right wing John Porch who finished Connacht’s early try last Friday, dotting down after two minutes of almost relentless pressure as the westerners’ attack caused Leinster serious problems.
Leo Cullen’s side did largely get to grips with the Connacht attack thereafter but Ringrose knows that the visitors will throw everything at Leinster in the Aviva Stadium on Friday.
“The way they attack is they are very cohesive,” said Ringrose. “They are all on the same page and they all try and pick on defenders and they do it effectively.
“The first few minutes was the perfect example of it being done well by them and then also us making an error or two defensively which gives them access in behind the line, so it’s about being ready for that and being able to react when they do get on top while trying to be a step ahead to negate it in the first place.
“With a team of their quality, it is going to happen regardless so you just have to be as good as you can to react as well.”
Leinster had their own thrilling purple patch in attack in the first leg, with James Lowe scoring twice in four minutes as Cullen’s men showed great fluidity with ball in hand.
Ringrose, though, sees lots of scope for improvement overall, particularly in how ruthless they are inside the Connacht 22.
“There was one called back and another that was a knock-on so trying to be clinical there when we can is one work-on, but also we can be better in our starter plays [from set-piece] and our multi-phase attack to give us opportunities to get those 22 entries as well.
“So there are a good few work-ons across the board attacking-wise and then defensively they are very strong in attack, so just to trying to be as alert as possible to some of their challenges and negate their individuals better than we did is going to be another big challenge for us.”
In the final episode of the series, The Front Row – The42’s new rugby podcast in partnership with Guinness – welcomes comedian Killian Sundermann in to studio. The online funnyman fills us in on his schools rugby days, gaining recognition during the pandemic, making his stand-up debut and travelling around Europe in a van. Click here to subscribe or listen below:
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