Hansen’s Bright Cameo Part Of ‘Incredible Experience So Far’ With Lions

Hansen was a bright spark off the bench during Friday’s 28-24 loss to Argentina. He came on to a big reception from the Aviva Stadium crowd and did not disappoint, making 34 metres from four carries, with one line break and three defenders beaten.

It was his pentrating run into the 22 that had the Lions on the prowl for a potential match-winning try in the 69th minute, yet the Pumas held firm on that occasion, and their defence late on was equally as impressive.

Andy Farrell’s men have since begun the long journey to Perth, the first destination of their 2025 tour, and next Saturday’s match against the Western Force offers them an immediate opportunity to improve on their performance in Dublin.

“Mixed emotions,” admitted Hansen, when speaking to TG4 after the 1888 Cup fixture. “Incredibly proud and honoured to be wearing this jersey for the first time. Something that’s going to live with me for the rest of my life.

“On the flip side, it’s obviously tough to get a loss here, especially when there was such a sea of red in the crowd – everybody supporting us, the buzz around town was incredible.

“Look, first game, a lot to improve on but we’ve got five games to go until the first Test so plenty of opportunities to get better anyway.”

It was a welcome boost to see the Connacht and Ireland winger get 20 minutes in against Argentina. It was his first time in competitive action since the province’s EPCR Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat to Racing 92 in April.

An ankle injury meant he missed the BKT United Rugby Championship run-in, but he worked hard to get himself right for the Lions’ warm-weather camp in Portugal before training well in Dublin this week to make the matchday 23.

Hansen was pleased the Lions were able to show glimpses of what they can do in attack, and with greater cohesion and cutting edge, he feels the group will show more of their potential in these upcoming clashes with the Force and the Queensland Reds.

“‘Faz’ and all the coaches, they will look over it and tell us what we got wrong. In saying that, there’s still a lot of positives.

“I think we showed the type of rugby that we want to play, willing to throw the ball around, an exciting brand of rugby, so a lot to look forward to.”

The Lions travelling party – minus Blair Kinghorn who will be involved with Toulouse in next weekend’s Top 14 final – departed Dublin Airport yesterday on three special flights, operated by Qatar Airways, the official title partner and official airline partner of the tour.

The players who lined out against Argentina were on the third flight, in order to maximise their recovery time on the ground. Farrell’s charges are en route to Australia via Doha, with detailed plans in place for sleep and overcoming jet lag and fatigue from travel.

As anticipated by many, Hansen looks set to be a popular tourist given how hard he trains and plays, and his likable and fun-loving personality off the pitch.

He has clearly enjoyed his first fortnight with the Maro Itoje-led Lions, and the bonds between the players, coaches, and management team are sure to grow tighter as the tour progresses Down Under.

Ahead of returning to his native Australia, he said: “It’s been an incredible experience so far. Get on with everyone really well. Everyone seems sound, but it’s the start, so you never know!

“But no, everybody is gelling really well. It’s actually been great to see. I think in the coming weeks, as I said, that’s going to start to really show as we go on.

“Can’t wait to create memories with these new bunch of mates that I’ve got. Looking forward to just being involved, being a Lion – that’s what it is all about.”

The concept and traditions of the Lions really drew the 27-year-old in during his younger days. The sight of Leigh Halfpenny’s goal-kicking brilliance during the 2013 Lions tour to Australia left a mark on him, along with the Welsh full-back’s ability to punch above his weight.

He has a fond memory from that tour, which was the last time that the Lions have won a Test series. As a teenager, he managed to see a few of the players out celebrating in Sydney and got a photo with Manu Tuilagi.

When Hansen signed for Connacht in 2021, and his Ireland career took off during his first season out west, playing for the Lions suddenly became an attainable ambition. He did all in his power to make the plane this summer, and now the sky is the limit.

“This is beyond a dream really, a dream come true. I remember when I was in Australia, I watched the last Lions tour. Like I was genuinely like, ‘That would be an incredible thing to do’.

“I always have loved the Lions and what it represents. No sport does what it is anywhere else in the world. I’ve always had an admiration for it, and it wasn’t until I came over properly that I was like, ‘Yeah, maybe this could be a thing that I could do’.

“To be named in it, I can’t even describe it. It’s easily, I’d say, the pinnacle of my career.”

Hansen received numerous calls and messages, particularly from his friends back in Australia, when the Lions squad announcement took place at a live event in London last month. He also made a humorous cameo on screen during a brief interview with presenter Lee McKenzie.

Watching the announcement on his phone on a beach in Galway after a swim, his call-up admittedly left him in some shock, and the tears flowed before he quickly phoned home to his mum Diana, who hails from Cork, and dad Craig.

He took some sage advice early on in his career from Christian Leali’ifano, who played for both Australia and Samoa as well as having a short stint at Ulster. It has served him well to this day, from breaking through with the ACT Brumbies right up to becoming a Lion.

“I remember, I’m pretty sure it was Christian, when I made my debut, he was like, ‘You’re going to be getting a lot of messages, a lot of calls. Just leave them to the side and actually enjoy it’.

“So I’ve always kind of had that when it comes to big moments. It’s not that I’m being rude and that I’m leaving people out!

“I just think for me, I called my mum and dad, and my gran, and I just enjoyed the moment for what it was. I think it’s really important to do, to actually take it all in.”

Given he is one of the Australian-born players on tour, the Lions will no doubt be utilising Hansen’s knowledge of the local eateries and watering holes. He has already mentioned ‘The Rook’ in Sydney for a visit – ‘That’s my old local, a hell of a pub!’.

“Definitely take them there, and realistically probably be ending up in ‘Mooseheads’. Anyone around the world that’s been to Canberra probably knows what ‘Mooseheads’ is. It’s good fun.”

Born and bred in Canberra, it is no surprise the Lions’ date with his former team, the Brumbies, at GIO Stadium on Wednesday, July 9 has long been pencilled in on his calendar.

It will be a full circle moment as he made his Super Rugby debut for the Brumbies against the NSW Waratahs at the same ground in March 2019.

Blessed with speed, skill, and a clever rugby brain, Hansen came to Connacht with an ability to play across the back-three and at out-half, and his versatility was an obvious advantage when the selection calls were being made for the Lions.

No matter the position, playing matches and helping the team is all he wants to do, with the two-time Six Nations winner explaining: “I grew up playing 10 until I was about 20-years-old, and then made the switch to full-back for a year, and then made the switch to wing when I was about 22.

“So I’ve only been playing wing for five years really. Wherever Faz needs me, wherever any of the coaches need me, I’m happy to play. As long as I’m playing, as long as I’m involved.

“I’m ready to do whatever they need for the squad really. My main focus is I want to get a Test match and get that Lions Test cap, so that’s what it is all about.

“I’m just going to enjoy it, enjoy it for what it is, whether it’s training, the games or whatever. I’m excited to dive into it all.”

In addition to his exploits on the pitch helping him to become a firm fan favourite with Ireland, Hansen’s tattoos – including one of head coach Farrell’s face on the top of his right leg – and his variety of hairstyles have been a source of amusement and intrigue in recent seasons.

As for the look he will be sporting during the coming weeks in Australia, he replied: “Got a mullet going on at the moment. I’ve actually never had a mullet, so this is my first mullet. I thought since I’m going back to Oz, I’d grow out the mullet.

“The moustache is a bit of a staple, I would say. I’m just going to try and blend in with everybody over there. Nothing too crazy, maybe a few blond tips in there, I’ll wait and see.”