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United Rugby Championship

Mack Hansen poised for long-awaited return from injury

Galway , Ireland - 1 January 2024; Mack Hansen of Connacht during the United Rugby Championship match between Connacht and Munster at The Sportsground in Galway. (Photo By Seb Daly/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Ireland wing Mack Hansen is ready to make his return from injury on Saturday after over eight months on the sidelines.

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The 26-year-old has been named among the replacements for Connacht’s pre-season fixture with United Rugby Championship winners Glasgow Warriors in Scotstoun.

The 21-cap Ireland international has been out of action since New Year’s Day after dislocating his shoulder against Munster.

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Response to the pre-match Haka chaos at Ellis Park | RPTV

The Boks Office crew, joined by Andrew Mehrtens, discuss the performance of the Haka before facing South Africa. Watch the full episode on RugbyPass TV

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Video Spacer

Response to the pre-match Haka chaos at Ellis Park | RPTV

The Boks Office crew, joined by Andrew Mehrtens, discuss the performance of the Haka before facing South Africa. Watch the full episode on RugbyPass TV

Watch now

While out, he has seen Ireland win the Guinness Six Nations and battle to a series draw with the world champions South Africa.

Connacht get their URC season underway with a trip to Thomond Park to take on Munster on September 21.

Fixture
United Rugby Championship
Munster
35 - 33
Full-time
Connacht
All Stats and Data

Whether Hansen will be ready to start in the URC season-opener is yet to be seen, but he will very likely feature. That will give the Australian-born wing enough time to stake a claim to make Andy Farrell’s Ireland squad for the Autumn Nations Series, where they face the All Blacks, Argentina, Fiji and Australia.

Connacht XV
15. Piers O’Conor
14. Shayne Bolton
13. David Hawkshaw
12. Cathal Forde
11. Shane Jennings
10. Josh Ioane
9. Matthew Devine
1. Denis Buckley
2. Dylan Tierney-Martin
3. Jack Aungier
4. Joe Joyce (C)
5. Darragh Murray
6. David O’Connor
7. Conor Oliver
8. Paul Boyle 

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Replacements: Adam McBurney, Jordan Duggan, Sam Illo, Niall Murray, Oisín Dowling, Oisín McCormack, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Ben Murphy, Jack Carty, John Porch, Finn Treacy, Mack Hansen. 

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It’s second chance Saturday for Ireland in men's world rankings

Neutral rugby fans will be hoping for a repeat of last weekend’s thriller in Johannesburg when South Africa and New Zealand renew their epic rivalry at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town this Saturday.

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Comments on RugbyPass

B
Bull Shark 8 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

You're outta here!

289 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 8 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Yellow for you. Timeout.


Low risk of danger, so there won't be a bunker review.

289 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 13 minutes ago
Sadness pervades as Gatland stands on the brink of Welsh exit

LOL. Tinfoil meet head.

17 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 22 minutes ago
Sadness pervades as Gatland stands on the brink of Welsh exit

Not true. I'm a South African and I absolutely loved seeing the Wallabies beating England. And miss the Wallabies of old who were a devastating force with some of the greatest players of all time.


I hear quite regularly that Australians prefer Aussie rules, league, and cricket over rugby.


So again, seems like Australians are to blame for the state of the game in Australia?

17 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 30 minutes ago
Let's be real about these All Blacks

I find Ben Smith to be an emotionally driven hysteric. So I question everything he writes.


He launched into the year about the ABs being back this year. For a "journalist" his opinions are based on the flavour of the month.


He's at least gone quiet about how sh1t the boks actually are. Although I suspect he's working on an outrageous article to that effect as we speak, to drive engagement after the end of the Autumn series, as we'll all be taking a break until the 6N. Reading his drivel in between extended periods of alcohol and mince pie consumption, and low grade depression related to the lack of international rugby. Leading to more alcohol and mince pies.

22 Go to comments
C
Chesterfield 32 minutes ago
Michael Hooper reacts to Scott Barrett’s controversial late-game call

The dominant pack should be enforcing their superiority with maximum points and the psychological advantage of taking the lead.

You don’t get that by saying we’ll settle for three and try again you get it by scoring seven and trying again. Doesn’t come off every time?

No.

But if you’ve asserted dominance letting the opposition off and not trying to build a double score difference is wrong minded.

All blacks have traditionally played to build the unassailable lead not meekly win a single point victory.

11 Go to comments
A
Arnold 35 minutes ago
Let's be real about these All Blacks

Aaah. Ben Smith. Ever the unbiased, objective rugby scribe......NOT.

Unable to give credit where it's due, other than for the ABs, especially when it comes to the Boks. His contempt for them is tangible. If you want to " Get Real" about these ABs Ben, consider when they last beat the Boks??? For us Bok fans, beating the ABs is the only true measure.

22 Go to comments
R
Reader76 54 minutes ago
Let's be real about these All Blacks

"they [All Blacks] are nuggety and resourceful and don’t wilt. They are prepared to win the hard way, accumulating points by any means necessary."


Sounds like you're describing your arch-nemesis Ben 😁

22 Go to comments
C
CM 57 minutes ago
'Steve Borthwick hung his troops out to dry - he should take some blame'

This article only shows a part of SBs failings as England Coach. Firstly his reputation st Leicester was false, his SA and Welsh players won the matches not his coaching prowess. He has Wigglesworth as attack coach, someone who rarely attacked when playing. His player selection is awful, ignoring form players and sticking with failed internationals. He picks players that he knows and will be easy to manage for him. What on earth is Slade doing when even for Exeter he does not make line breaks with steppping, pace or guile, why on earth are Cole,George,Steward,Ford,Iseweke and a few other anywhere near the Team. Borthwick is awful as Head Coach of England.

1 Go to comments
M
Mzilikazi 58 minutes ago
Key Wallabies trio running hot a year after being left in cold

Good to be writing about a WB team that has beaten two 6 N sides in successive weeks, Brett.


Lolesio indeed is looking very comfortable under Schmidt coaching. He must feel as confident now as he was feeling in his spell at Toulon last year. It will be interesting to see how he does against Finn Russell.

30 Go to comments
J
J Marc 1 hour ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Your unterstanding of the relation FFR LNR, is far better than the one in the article. For Meafou, there is an article on Skelton saying he is totally indispensable in the australian game.

In France they are often compared, and french game is often, but not always ,based on this kind of number 5. But , there are a lot of kind of play in France and in the world, and it's a blessing, because otherwise, the game would be boring.

On my other post ,which you replied, my intention was to explain with some historics facts the main importance, in France, of the championship.

But ,once again, I would prefer 3 games in NZ , with the better french players.

289 Go to comments
N
Ninjin 1 hour ago
Let's be real about these All Blacks

I said before the November tests that the AB's should go smash some Nh teams to find their feet and it seems that is just what they did bar France. Could have should have always sucks. Better to look to the future.

22 Go to comments
O
OJohn 1 hour ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

And there it is, the game just given away. Thanks.

18 Go to comments
O
OJohn 1 hour ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

The nationality of the coach is important to kiwis and south africans and the french.

Not coincidentally the teams in world rugby who play with the most passion.

Why is it not allowed to be important for Australians ?

18 Go to comments
O
Oh no, not him again? 1 hour ago
Tyrone Green decision has huge bearing on his international future

He'd make a great John C Reilly impersonator though. Someone call his agent. 🙃

2 Go to comments
O
OM 3 hours ago
Let's be real about these All Blacks

On behalf of New Zealand, I apologise for Ben Smith.

22 Go to comments
M
Mitch 3 hours ago
David Campese takes back his Joe Schmidt coaching Australia criticism

No doubt they liked Rennie but a 38% win record is hard to defend.

18 Go to comments
R
Red and White Dynamight 3 hours ago
Pablo Matera returns from ban as Argentina change 3 for Ireland

Incorrect. Matera plays mostly on blindside incl for Crusaders when they won title in 2022. Pumas tend to play their flankers left and right rather than 6/7 but Matera is involved in set pieces mostly on blindside channel.

3 Go to comments
C
Cantab 3 hours ago
Let's be real about these All Blacks

It is true that some of the ABs losses were unlucky but it must also be conceded that some of their wins were equally fortuitous and even out overall. I firmly believe that provided the team takes stock of their shortcomings and remedy them while building on the positive, they will return to being the juggernaut of past glories. They are not that far off and Razor has largely developed a side which is capable of not only winning a world cup but returning to the top of world rankings. Boks beware as uneasy the head that wears the crown.

22 Go to comments
D
DrinkAwayTheConcussion 4 hours ago
Sadness pervades as Gatland stands on the brink of Welsh exit

As if we’d let such an obvious double agent ploy work on us lol.

Tell me, who was just appointed head coach of Australia’s Men’s 7s…???

17 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Despite defeat in Paris, the real reason the All Blacks are feeling upbeat Despite defeat in Paris, the real reason the All Blacks are feeling upbeat
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