IRELAND’S BRILLIANT 19-16 defeat of South Africa on Saturday had a little bit of everything. A tense, gripping encounter left little margin for error as the world’s number one ranked side found a way to outsmart and even outmuscle the reigning world champions.
The purists will have enjoyed Ireland’s opening try early in the second half, Josh van der Flier providing the finishing touch to a powerful maul drive. A sweet score against the Springboks’ fearsome park.
Ireland’s second was electrifying and typified the ambitious attacking mindset Andy Farrell has instilled in his team.
It all started with a brilliant bit of play from Caelan Doris, gobbling up a loose ball and flinging a superb pass inside to Josh van der Flier, the ball working it’s way infield before Jamison Gibson-Park took advantage of a gap in the Boks’ defensive line. A slick series of passes then saw the ball skip through the hands of Tadhg Beirne, Hugo Keenan and Jimmy O’Brien, before Mack Hansen darted over in the corner.
South Africa would land a couple more blows but that 10 minute passage would ultimately prove decisive on a memorable night in Dublin 4.
“You’ve got to celebrate the wins, especially against a team like South Africa that is world class,” said Hansen, speaking shortly after full-time on Saturday.
Hansen celebrates his try. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“To get a win against a team like that, you can’t complain at all. You’ve got to celebrate otherwise it’s just hard to keep the wheels turning.”
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Hansen is just seven caps into his Ireland career but is stitching together quite the CV. His first year of international rugby has included a brilliant solo try at the Stade de France, a series win in New Zealand, and now a home victory against the Springboks.
“That was a proper Test slog,” Hansen continued.
“They defend pretty differently to everyone. You kind of know what’s coming but it’s still very hard to play against. They tried to bring us out of our game plan but we just stuck with it and yeah, just got stuck in.
When we’re doing our things right we know there’s not a team that can handle what we’re doing. So we’ve just got to keep sticking to our key principles and we’ll end up coming out on top.”
The versatile winger has become a key component of Ireland’s attack through his roaming role on the pitch.
“It’s great. I’ve got 11 or 14 on my back but I’ve got a licence to roam and try and fit in where I can. I think the more that us wings are getting involved and coming off the wing, the more it’s going to help create extra numbers.
“Faz and all the coaching staff, Catty, Si, even Paulie and Fogs, who don’t have too much to do with us, you know, they’re always encouraging you just to express yourself and play your game. That’s exactly what you want to hear when you’re running up the pitch.
“The main thing today really was they put on a lot of kick pressure, I found it pretty hard to get it off the right foot. But I think everybody found it pretty hard to get their kicks away, the amount of pressure they put on you varies.
Hansen is tackled by Eben Etzebeth. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“It’s absolutely world class (the Springboks defence), especially with their kick chase and things like that, they’ve got their things that they do very well and they did them again today and it is quite hard to nullify it.
“It was definitely a step up from what I’ve experienced.”
Hansen can count himself lucky to have been able to play the full 80, with the Connacht wing on the receiving end of a dangerous double-tackle from Cheslin Kolbe and Pieter-Steph du Toit which saw the former drive Hansen into the ground.
Nika Amashukeli flashed a yellow card. The crowd wanted red. Hansen was thinking similar as the Georgian referee consulted the big screen.
“(I was thinking) I hope he gets a red card, that was pretty much it! Just because he’s one of the best players in the world.
“Looking at it on the screen, it wasn’t malicious at all. It actually looked worse than it was, he didn’t drive me by any means, I was just talking to him there and he’s a super nice guy but any opportunity to get him off the field, you’ll take that.
“I wasn’t thinking too much about it, whatever was coming we were going to play on regardless. He was just a bit unlucky, he was trying to get into contact as well.
“It was grand, he’s a super nice guy and said sorry, it was nothing too hectic that came out of it, really.”
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Hansen: 'When we're doing our things right we know no team can handle it'
IRELAND’S BRILLIANT 19-16 defeat of South Africa on Saturday had a little bit of everything. A tense, gripping encounter left little margin for error as the world’s number one ranked side found a way to outsmart and even outmuscle the reigning world champions.
The purists will have enjoyed Ireland’s opening try early in the second half, Josh van der Flier providing the finishing touch to a powerful maul drive. A sweet score against the Springboks’ fearsome park.
Ireland’s second was electrifying and typified the ambitious attacking mindset Andy Farrell has instilled in his team.
It all started with a brilliant bit of play from Caelan Doris, gobbling up a loose ball and flinging a superb pass inside to Josh van der Flier, the ball working it’s way infield before Jamison Gibson-Park took advantage of a gap in the Boks’ defensive line. A slick series of passes then saw the ball skip through the hands of Tadhg Beirne, Hugo Keenan and Jimmy O’Brien, before Mack Hansen darted over in the corner.
South Africa would land a couple more blows but that 10 minute passage would ultimately prove decisive on a memorable night in Dublin 4.
“You’ve got to celebrate the wins, especially against a team like South Africa that is world class,” said Hansen, speaking shortly after full-time on Saturday.
“To get a win against a team like that, you can’t complain at all. You’ve got to celebrate otherwise it’s just hard to keep the wheels turning.”
Hansen is just seven caps into his Ireland career but is stitching together quite the CV. His first year of international rugby has included a brilliant solo try at the Stade de France, a series win in New Zealand, and now a home victory against the Springboks.
“That was a proper Test slog,” Hansen continued.
“They defend pretty differently to everyone. You kind of know what’s coming but it’s still very hard to play against. They tried to bring us out of our game plan but we just stuck with it and yeah, just got stuck in.
The versatile winger has become a key component of Ireland’s attack through his roaming role on the pitch.
“It’s great. I’ve got 11 or 14 on my back but I’ve got a licence to roam and try and fit in where I can. I think the more that us wings are getting involved and coming off the wing, the more it’s going to help create extra numbers.
“Faz and all the coaching staff, Catty, Si, even Paulie and Fogs, who don’t have too much to do with us, you know, they’re always encouraging you just to express yourself and play your game. That’s exactly what you want to hear when you’re running up the pitch.
“The main thing today really was they put on a lot of kick pressure, I found it pretty hard to get it off the right foot. But I think everybody found it pretty hard to get their kicks away, the amount of pressure they put on you varies.
“It’s absolutely world class (the Springboks defence), especially with their kick chase and things like that, they’ve got their things that they do very well and they did them again today and it is quite hard to nullify it.
“It was definitely a step up from what I’ve experienced.”
Hansen can count himself lucky to have been able to play the full 80, with the Connacht wing on the receiving end of a dangerous double-tackle from Cheslin Kolbe and Pieter-Steph du Toit which saw the former drive Hansen into the ground.
Nika Amashukeli flashed a yellow card. The crowd wanted red. Hansen was thinking similar as the Georgian referee consulted the big screen.
“(I was thinking) I hope he gets a red card, that was pretty much it! Just because he’s one of the best players in the world.
“Looking at it on the screen, it wasn’t malicious at all. It actually looked worse than it was, he didn’t drive me by any means, I was just talking to him there and he’s a super nice guy but any opportunity to get him off the field, you’ll take that.
“I wasn’t thinking too much about it, whatever was coming we were going to play on regardless. He was just a bit unlucky, he was trying to get into contact as well.
“It was grand, he’s a super nice guy and said sorry, it was nothing too hectic that came out of it, really.”
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Flying High Ireland Mack Hansen