IRISH WINGER Mack Hansen says his memory of Connacht’s historic Pro12 success in 2016 didn’t extend much beyond the outlandish odds which were available at the time if someone backed them and Leicester City for a double.
Connacht duly delivered in the Pro12 final over Leinster in Murrayfield and the Foxes also maintained their challenge to capture the Premier League crown for the first time.
“I remember hearing about it because people were showing what an accumulator would have cost for Connacht and Leicester City to win the Premier League at the time, it was like put on €10 and win a couple of hundred thousand,” said Hansen.
“So it was definitely a big talking point around the world, I didn’t know too much about Connacht at the time but yeah, you knew it was a bit of a fairytale story.”
The Irish winger now gets the chance to add another layer to that fairytale when Connacht head to Cape Town next weekend just 80 minutes away from another league final showdown against Irish opposition.
And after seeing off Ulster 15-10 in the quarter-finals in Belfast at the weekend, Hansen is determined they have a right crack off champions the Stormers in South Africa on Saturday afternoon and set up a final date against either Leinster or Munster.
“They’re a good team, there’s no two ways about it, especially over there,” added Hansen. “To lose only one game at home in two seasons is quality but it’s semi-finals time and anything can happen.
“We showed that last week and we’re going over there to do a job, we’re not just going to lay down and take it from them.
“I’d say they’re probably feeling pretty comfortable, they’d have been thinking they were going to Ulster which is perfect, they can keep thinking that.”
Connacht head to Cape Town with a clean bill of health with Hansen showing no ill-effects — apart from a nasty gash on his forehead — and a heavy clash of heads with the other winger John Porch on Friday night.
“Yeah, I really didn’t know what was going on. It wasn’t that I was concussed or anything but it was just a really, really deep sting. It just stung heaps, like I got stung by a couple of bees, I don’t really know if that’s the best way to describe it.
“Then I felt blood coming down and it wasn’t until after…they took my headgear off and the three doctors were like, ‘Oh, Jesus’ and I was like, ‘that can’t be great’.
“They asked did I want to take a photo and I said yeah, and when they took it I was like, ‘Oh, show us the photo’ and they were like, ‘we’ll show you after the game’.
“I understand why now because it was a deep sting, a deep cut. Yeah, people were asking why I posted it and to be fair, I don’t really know why. I thought it was kind of cool for people to see. I know when I see things like that, I’m like, ‘Oh, Jesus!’.
Hansen was spotted afterwards on television in the tunnel along with director of rugby Andy Friend on a FaceTime call, but the Australian cleared up any mystery about who was on the other end.
“I was just talking to my dad, we gave him a call after the game, they always stay up and watch the games.
“I used to talk to him after every game and I like to still do that, to get their thoughts on it and it makes me feel like they’re there sometimes.
“Him and mum, they’ll tell me if I’ve played like sh*t or if I’ve played alright, I find they’re pretty good to give an honest review. That’s why I enjoy calling them after to see what they thought and that one was thankfully one to enjoy.
“Andy happened to walk past and we were just talking about how tough a game it was and I was showing off my scar. Just enjoying it, it was some feeling for sure,” added the 25-year-old.