Relief for Wilkins as Mack Hansen returns for Connacht

RETURN OF THE MACK: Leinster feared the worst but Hansen returns sooner than expected.

Connacht coach Pete Wilkins said it is a big relief that Mack Hansen’s foot injury is not as serious as initially feared and he will be available for Friday night’s trip to Belfast to take on Ulster.

There were fears that Hansen was set for a long spell on the sideline and may need surgery after aggravating the foot injury against Bordeaux-Bègles which troubled him during and after the World Cup, “It’s a relief and a boost,” said Wilkins. “When he went off injured in that Bordeaux game, obviously it is a disappointment for him and us from a rugby point of view, but you can feel a little bit of energy drain out of the team, drain out of the crowd and the whole occasion.