MACK HANSEN was baying for Lions blood 12 years ago — now he is lining up for them back in his homeland.
The Aussie-born Connacht wing starts for the tourists today against Western Force in Perth and even has a tattoo of Lions coach Andy Farrell on his leg in tribute to the pair’s 2023 Six Nations Grand Slam triumph with Ireland.
Hansen has seen first-hand what it means for an underdog province to topple the Lions when they get their once-in-a-career shot at it.
The Canberra-raised ace was 15 when dad Craig took him to watch local outfit the Brumbies take on Warren Gatland’s side during the 2013 tour.
Hansen, who played for the Brumbies from 2018-2021, went wild in the stands as a Lions team including Ireland trio Rob Kearney, Seán O’Brien and Rory Best were downed 14-12.
The 27-year-old said: “It seems like an alternative universe. I remember the buzz around Australia and seeing these players you didn’t really get to see.
“It was amazing. I always loved the Lions and I didn’t know it would be something that I’d get to do — but I’m here and I’m enjoying it. It feels like I’m properly living the dream.
“We were sitting behind the goalposts watching it. It was mad.
“I talked to guys after that and they’d been pumped up for the game for weeks, working towards it.
“They saw it as the be-all and end-all. Also, guys are playing to try to get into the Wallabies as well, so there’s still a lot on the line for a lot of these teams.”
Hansen qualifies for Ireland through Cork-born mum Diana, but only moved there in 2021, signing for Connacht from the Brumbies, and making his Ireland debut a year later.
He saw the Farrell fear factor in action after the Lions slumped to a 28-24 reverse to Argentina last week in Dublin when the head coach tore into the team.
And Hansen knows what is coming if the tourists slip up again today.
But the 28-cap wing insists his side should be knocking over the provincial teams easily before the Test series.
He added: “If anything, it’s good to feel it early and then we know that we’ll get our heads absolutely chewed off if it happens again.
“The only thing that can beat us, is us. We’re from four of the best teams in the world, so the expectation is to win regardless of who you’re playing.
“You should be winning every time, so every time it’s a loss, it just isn’t good enough.”
LIONS: Daly; Hansen, Ringrose, Tuipulotu, Lowe; Russell, Williams; Schoeman, Sheehan (capt), Furlong, Cummings, McCarthy, Beirne, Van der Flier, Pollock. Reps: Kelleher, Porter, Stuart, Chessum, Conan, Mitchell, Jones, M Smith.
