Murray Kinsella Reports from Canberra

FOUR YEARS AFTER leaving his hometown to move to the other side of the world and join Connacht, Mack Hansen is back in Canberra as a Lion.

The Ireland wing grew up dreaming about playing for the Brumbies and achieved that, but now he’s home to play against them.

Hansen has been named on the Lions’ bench for Wednesday’s warm-up clash at Gio Stadium. He’s been dealing with people “coming out of the woodwork” looking for tickets for the last few weeks and reckons there will be about 30 of his family and friends at the game.

“It’s incredible, it’s a bit of a pinch-me moment,” said Hansen.

“Not in my wildest dreams could I imagine I would be back here playing for the Lions. It’s very special.”

It has been a remarkable few years for Hansen, who has become a key man for Ireland under Andy Farrell.

Now his Lions boss, Farrell picked out Hansen’s work ethic as being key to his journey from Canberra to a Lions jersey.

“Do you know what? For everything that you see of Mack, personality-wise, he is a brilliant professional,” said Farrell.

Mack Hansen during his time with the Brumbies. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

“He studies the game, he tries to understand it from all sorts of different ways and he’s a massive contributor in trying to help the team get better as well and that’s because he does his homework.

“So wherever he’s got in that space of time is because of the hard work that you guys don’t see behind the scenes. He really cares about his preparation, he’s constantly inquisitive in regards to asking the right questions to want to get better and he’s a proper team player. 

“When you’re speaking up quite a bit, which he actually does speak up quite a bit, it makes you take on a little bit more responsibility and he definitely does that.”

Hansen was at the last Lions game against the Brumbies in 2013, watching on from the stands as the Aussie side recorded an historic victory over the tourists.

The strength of the Lions’ selection this time around means that prospect seems less likely but the memories remain strong for Hansen.

“I was there that day and I know how much it meant to everyone around here and how much they will be getting up for it,” he said.

He will be playing against many familiar faces, including the Lonergan brothers, Lachlan and Ryan, who remain two of Hansen’s best friends.

“It’s going to be interesting,” said Hansen. “I don’t know how I’m going to feel until I’m out on the field and it won’t be until afterwards that I’ll be able to take it all in.

Mack Hansen in Canberra today. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO

“It’s hard to explain how I’m going to feel now. I’m not too sure, to be honest with you. As I said, it’s going to be a great moment for myself and my family. Playing against my friends is going to be cool.”

Hansen’s fellow Canberra native Finlay Bealham missed out on selection for this game, and even though Hansen knows it will be special, he underlines that there is a bigger match ahead that he wants to be involved in.

This tour of all about being in the Test 23 and Hansen knows this is a chance to further his case.

Hansen is loving the Lions experience, impressing against the Western Force before having a somewhat less impactful game versus the Waratahs last Saturday.

“I think on the weekend it was a little bit tougher, but I think as a group we’re gelling really well and everybody’s really starting to buy in and really getting the way that we want to flow in attack and the way that we want to stop teams in defence,” said Hansen.

“Everyone’s just really starting to bond as a unit and I think that’s shown on the field.”