What the rest of the Six Nations can expect from Ireland debutant Mack Hansen
Only one member of the Ireland matchday 23 is set to make their debut on Saturday against Wales in the opening round of the Six Nations in what is otherwise a very settled squad.
Connacht winger Mack Hansen is set to make his first appearance in green only months after arriving in Ireland from the Brumbies in the country of his birth Australia.
The 23-year-old has been in sensational form this season and fully deserves his debut at the Aviva Stadium. However, he may be unfamiliar to those that do not follow the United Rugby Championship. He is the leading try scorer in the competition this season, but has proven to be so much more than just a finisher. He is leading the league in metres made and defenders beaten, while proving to be very reliable in defence. He is as well rounded as a winger comes, as Premier Sports recently showed:
Outside of Hansen’s selection, there is plenty of experience across this Ireland side selected by Andy Farrell , as well as over 350 caps worth of experience on the bench alone as Ireland enter the Championship as one of the favourites. This is the team:
IRELAND team v Wales, Round 1 Guinness Six Nations 2022
15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 16 caps
14. Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen) 27 caps
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 37 caps
12. Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 33 caps
11. Mack Hansen (Connacht) uncapped
10. Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 101 caps CAPTAIN
9. Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 12 caps
1. Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 40 caps
2. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 16 caps
3. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 52 caps
4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 25 caps
5. James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 40 caps
6. Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 12 caps
7. Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 35 caps
8. Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 22 caps
Replacements
16. Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 2 caps
17. Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 112 caps
18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 18 caps
19. Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University) 6 caps
20. Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 79 caps
21. Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 92 caps
22. Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 27 caps
23. James Hume (Ulster/Banbridge) 1 cap
