'It's a crazy feeling. Woohoohoo!' - Mack Hansen savours Ireland's Slam

THE BOYS IN GREEN: Ireland's Jimmy O'Brien, Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen and James Lowe. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

You go with the flow on an historic night like this one. 

The late kick-off and the unfolding celebrations demand that the usual media obligations are dragged forward by an hour so Mack Hansen is literally just finishing the team's lap of honour when he gets the shepherd’s hook for a few words.

SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP

Your home for the latest news, views and analysis of this year's Six Nations Championship from our award winning sports team.

SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP

Your home for the latest news, views and analysis of this year's Six Nations Championship from our award winning sports team.

“Absolutely amazing,” say the Ireland winger after a team jig to the tune of ‘Free from Desire’ and the emotional stroll around the turf’s perimeter. 

“It's hard to put into words at the moment. It's a crazy feeling. Woohoohoo!” 

Ireland’s players don’t normally get a mike shoved under their noses pitchside. There’s usually a bevvy of corporate gigs to service first, showers to be had. Not on Saturday night. The adrenaline is still flowing and it comes out in their words.

This was only the 14th game of Test rugby Hansen has played. His debut was little over 13 months ago and it doesn’t feel all that long since he was dabbling in life as an electrician and childcare and moving tentatively into a rugby career back in Australia.

The prospect of this game which brought with it the prospect of a Triple Crown, a Six Nations title and a Grand Slam, must have loomed large in the nervous system for your Johnny Sextons of the world. For a novice like Hansen? Well, let’s get his take.

“I was taking some tablets before the game so I didn't shit myself. I was very nervous. I think everyone was and I think you could kind of see then in the way we were playing. That's something for us to improve on, so for now we're going to enjoy this.” Hansen’s interview after last week’s Scotland game drew plenty of comment for his throwaway remark about everyone ‘hating’ the English. Lost in the pearl clutching was his take that their hammering at home to France hadn’t done Ireland any favours.

He was right.

Fear and pride make for a heady cocktail and England did more than enough to discommode Ireland without ever threatening the home try line until that pushover try in the final quarter when the contest had only just been put to bed.

Good, hard footie, Hansen called it.

Ireland’s struggle were not part of the plan. This was painted as a done deal in a way we have rarely seen before in any Irish sporting context and, for all England’s huff and puff, it was Ireland who were always going to bring the house down.

So it proved.

“We've put ourselves in these spots before and we've come out on top,” said the 24-year from Canberra. “It's something we're good at. Hopefully one week we can just absolutely run away with it, that would be perfect.

“But we've come a long way from where we started a couple of years ago until now and we will keep on doing that and the next step is putting our foot on a game and leading from start to finish instead of keeping it close like that.” 

Different gravy, he said as he looked around a stadium that was still rocking and soaking in the vibes. His mother’s brother was in the stands somewhere. So too his uncle Gabe and auntie Lorraine, other relatives from Cork and a mate from Australia.

“I wish my Mum, Dad and brother were here,” he said.

Nights like this might persuade them all to book a trip to France later in the year.