'He has a big body and he's not afraid to use it' - Hansen warns of van der Merwe threat 

Scotland come to the Aviva Stadium for the tournament finale on Saturday. Their talismanic wing will be looking to notch his first try ever against the hosts.

WING MAN: Mack Hansen Announced as the Irish Ambassador for This Year’s Wings for Life World Run. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie

Duhan van der Merwe has scored 14 tries in the Six Nations since his tournament debut in 2021. No player has been so lethal in the Championship as the Scotland wing in that time and yet none of those scores came against Ireland.

Coincidence, or consequence?

The 28-year old has been a particular thorn in England’s side, terrorising the auld enemy’s defence with sweeping runs from any and every angle and distance. Six of his tries have come in the Calcutta Cup.

There have been doubles against Wales, France and Scotland in there too but only blanks against Ireland. And not just in the Six Nations. He didn’t make the scoresheet in their World Cup game in Paris last October either.

Mack Hansen, currently injured with a dislocated shoulder, faced him on the wing on the last two of those occasions and gave due warning of a player who is not content to sit and wait for the ball on the tramlines.

“He's very powerful, he's built like a brick shithouse,” said the Connacht back. “If you look at him, he's a lot bigger than most wingers in the world at the moment but it's not all about power. He does have speed, he's quick.

“He's just a big body, he's almost like a back row playing on the wing. As I said, he's quick, he has a big body, and he's not afraid to use it. He can beat you with his feet but he can also try to run you over, so he's definitely tough to come up against for sure.” 

And then comes the rub.

"But I think the difference between us and them is that we work as a team a little bit better, so that's going to play into our hands. There are some things where he's trying to do it as individual brilliance and I just think, as a team, we will be able to shut it down.” 

Hansen would have been facing up to the task again had it not been for the injury suffered with Connacht when they faced Munster on New Year’s Day. The initial prognosis was a four-month recovery and that’s the way it’s going to be.

FULL FLIGHT: Scotland's Duhan van der Merwe. Pic: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire.

The plan is to make it back in May for the province’s last few URC games. Do that and he will put his hand up for a place on the plane for Ireland’s summer tour to South Africa where they face the world champion Springboks in two Tests.

Until then it’s a watching brief.

He had no doubt but that the squad would rebound from their World Cup quarter-final defeat come this spring. He feels the same about their ‘bouncebackability’ this Saturday when they face the Scots on the back of last week’s England defeat.

"One hundred per cent confident,” said Hansen who has been announced as Irish ambassador for this year’s Wings For Life World Run. I've got no doubt in my mind on this, they can get the job done. I can't think of the last time we lost back-to-back games.” It was February 2021. The same month van der Merwe started his Six Nations streak.