Ruaidhri O'Connor: Brumbies clash set to be Lions' Test dress rehearsal as Wallabies show just how vulnerable they are
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The 42
an hour ago
- The 42
'Not in my wildest dreams could I imagine I'd be back here with the Lions'
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.' Advertisement 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.'
The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
Eight Irish starters named in Lions team to face Brumbies in Canberra
The 42 Reports from Canberra LIONS HEAD COACH Andy Farrell has named eight Irish players in his strong starting XV for Wednesday's warm-up clash with the Brumbies [KO 11am Irish time, Sky Sports]. This game is being viewed as a Test rehearsal for the Lions, with their opening meeting against Australia 10 days later. There is one more warm-up game ahead on Saturday against an AUNZ Invitational team, but this Brumbies clash has increasingly looked like the last opportunity for Farrell to run most of his Test combinations. Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell will resume their halfback pairing at Gio Stadium, while Irish centres Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose start together. Scotland's Blair Kinghorn gets his first Lions start at fullback, making up the back three with James Lowe and Tommy Freeman. Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong are picked in the front row with Ellis Genge, while Ireland's Joe McCarthy partners captain Maro Itoje in the second row. Jack Conan is at the heart of a back row that is completed by English pair Tom Curry and Ollie Chessum, the latter at blindside. Advertisement There are four more Irish players on the bench in Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Josh van der Flier and Mack Hansen, who will play in his hometown of Canberra. Interestingly, the Lions bench includes two back rows in van der Flier and Henry Pollock despite Farrell going for a 5/3 split, with Chessum providing second row cover from within the starting XV. Lions (v Brumbies): 15. Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/Scotland) 14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton/England) 13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/Ireland) 12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Ireland) 11. James Lowe (Leinster/Ireland) 10. Finn Russell (Bath/Scotland) 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster/Ireland) 1. Ellis Genge (Bristol/England) 2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Ireland) 3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Ireland) 4. Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) (captain) 5. Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Ireland) 6. Ollie Chessum (Leicester/England) 7. Tom Curry (Sale/England) 8. Jack Conan (Leinster/Ireland) Replacements : 16. Rónan Kelleher (Leinster/Ireland) 17. Andrew Porter (Leinster/Ireland) 18. Will Stuart (Bath/England) 19. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/Ireland) 20. Henry Pollock (Northampton/England) 21. Alex Mitchell (Northampton/England) 22. Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England) 23. Mack Hansen (Connacht/Ireland) Written by Murray Kinsella and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here .
The 42
4 hours ago
- The 42
AUNZ finalise squad for Lions clash, Brumbies name ex-Connacht wing
LES KISS HAS confirmed his final AUNZ Invitational XV squad for Saturday's clash with the British and Irish Lions in Adelaide. Ex-Ireland assistant coach Kiss, who will succeed Joe Schmidt as Wallabies boss next year, will lead the AUNZ side for what will be the Lions' final warm-up game before their three-Test series against Australia. Many of the names in the AUNZ group had already been announced but the finalised 30-man squad has now been confirmed. New Zealand internationals David Havili, Shannon Frizell, Shaun Stevenson, Ngani Laumape, Hoskins Sotutu, and Folau Fakatava are among the stars, while there are several Wallabies involved, including Marika Koroibete, Lukhan Salakai-Loto, and Pete Samu. Among the final crop of players confirmed are Chiefs tighthead prop George Dyer and a number of players who have already impressed against the Lions in recent warm-up games, such as Waratahs wing Darby Lancaster and Reds back row Joe Brial. Advertisement AUNZ Invitational XV squad: Aidan Ross, AJ Lam, Angus Blyth, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Daniel Botha, Darby Lancaster, David Havili, Folau Fakatava, George Dyer, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Hoskins Sotutu, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Jock Campbell, Joe Brial, Joey Walton, Joshua Fusitu'a, Kalani Thomas, Kurt Eklund, Lachlan Anderson, Lukhan Salakai-Loto, Mac Grealy, Marika Koroibete, Matt Philip, Ngani Laumape, Pete Samu, Richie Asiata, Seru Uru, Shannon Frizell, Shaun Stevenson, Tane Edmed. Former Connacht wing Ben O'Donnell. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO Meanwhile, Brumbies boss Stephen Larkham has named his matchday 23 to face the Lions on Wednesday in Canberra. Flanker Tom Hooper returns to the side having played off the bench for the Wallabies against Fiji on Sunday, while speedy wing Corey Toole, scrum-half Ryan Lonergan, openside Rory Scott, centre David Feliuai, and loosehead Lington Ieli are all part of the starting XV having recently trained with Joe Schmidt's national squad. Former Connacht wing Ben O'Donnell, who was with the Irish province from 2020 until 2022, starts on the right wing in what will be his final Brumbies appearance before joining French D2 club Aurillac. Tom Hooper's younger brother, Lachie, is set for his Brumbies debut off the bench, as is prop Cameron Orr. Brumbies (v Lions): 15. Andy Muirhead 14. Ben O'Donnell 13. Ollie Sapsford 12. David Feliuai 11. Corey Toole 10. Declan Meredith 9. Ryan Lonergan (captain) 1. Lington Ieli 2. Lachlan Lonergan 3. Rhys van Nek 4. Lachie Shaw 5. Cadeyrn Neville 6. Tom Hooper 7. Rory Scott 8. Tuaina Taii Tualima Replacements: 16. Liam Bowron 17. Cameron Orr 18. Feao Fotuaika 19. Lachie Hooper 20. Luke Reimer 21. Harrison Goddard 22. Jack Debreczeni 23. Hudson Creighton
