Mack Hansen: England hammering 'worst thing that could have happened for us'

It’s almost too good to be true.

The expectation was that Steve Borthwick’s side would see their stock rise the further they found themselves in this Six Nations. That the new management team would have had further time to inculcate their squad with their beliefs and their strategies.

The Aviva was pegged as their likely high point.

Instead what we have is an England team facing its greatest crisis of confidence and identity since Manu Tuilagi jumped off a ferry in Auckland Harbour during the 2011 World Cup. It seems incomprehensible that Ireland could lose.

“The worst thing that could have happened for us was England getting pumped at home,” said Mack Hansen. “You just know they're going to turn around. They're a great side. It didn't go their way against France, they still have unreal players.

“We know they're going to bounce back, we know they're going to bring a lot of energy. It'll be a completely different team to last weekend. But we want to play against the best and if they're at their best then it's going to be great, a good match.” 

Hansen has yet to face England. He played four times in last season’s Championship but was surprisingly dropped for the fourth round clash in London despite being man of the match against Wales and scoring a blinding try in Paris.

He still travelled over with the squad and, the win aside, his main memory of the day is the captain’s meeting at the team hotel pre-game which was soundtracked by a brawl, screams and an arriving ambulance on the street nearby.

Hansen was further removed, on the far side of the world, the last time Ireland won a Grand Slam, bouncing around between the Canberra Vikings, the Brumbies and stints as an electrician and in childcare.

That 2018 success for Ireland was claimed in Twickenham and on the back of a sensational performance by Joe Schmidt’s visitors and there is no doubt but that some people here would have taken extra joy in it because of the opposition.

Old habits do die hard.

Hansen made a comment about everyone hating the English after the win in Murrayfield on Sunday but it was a light quip delivered by a man with a dry sense of humour and absent of any malice. Another take on the Anglo-Irish rivalry was more nuanced.

“I don't know if I should say too much,” he explained. “There's a fair bit of hatred, isn't there? It's good, though, because once the game is done they are good lads like everyone else.

“That shit happened... how long ago now? But it does add a bit of fire to the game. I was unlucky that I didn't get to play last year, so fingers crossed I get to play next Saturday.” 

It remains to be seen if Andy Farrell gets another opportunity to coach a team against one containing his son Owen with the latter dropped to the bench for that French shellacking and coming on after the break.

England are in such disarray now that any number of selection calls appear to be up in the air but their Farrell is still their captain and, to some, their talisman. For Ireland, his presence or absence will be of no special interest beyond the norm.

“There will be no moves run at Owen if he’s playing… there’ll be a lot of chat about lightly tapping him to the ground! Nah, Andy’s very good at just letting that go. He’s not going to slate him by any means.

“It’s just another game and it just happens that his son is playing for the other team,” said Hansen. “Andy will say the right words and get us pumped up no matter what.

“Owen will be broken up to bits, losing like that at Twickenham. It’s probably the worst thing that could have happened for us because they’ll turn around and they’ll be hungry to make up for it.”