Rugby Daily | Lancaster: "Mack's back"; Kolisi injury worries, Brian Smith RIP
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Join in the obsession. Subscribe now at offtheball.com forward slash join. Off the balls, rugby daily. With Bank of Ireland, a proud sponsor of Connuc, Leinster, Munster and Ulster Rugby. Never stop competing. You're very welcome along to Rugby Daily. I'm Cameron Hill. Now coming up for you today, a welcome injury boost for Connoct and Ireland ahead of the new season, an unwelcome injury blow for South Africa ahead of facing the All Blacks later this month, and former Ireland out half Brian Smith has died at the age of fifty-nine. First up today, Connoct head coach Stuart Lancaster has confirmed that Mac Hansen is back to full fitness ahead of next season. The Ireland only made three appearances the whole of last season.
He was struggling with a foot injury from the Lions Tour of Australia. He underwent surgery in January and has been recovering ever since, but he's taken full part in the province's preseason preparations with URC and Champions Cup campaigns on the horizon and the small matter of the World Cup in fourteen months' time, of course. Lancaster joined Darismith and Octon for an index in depth discussion on off the ball breakfast and he says Hansen is making excellent progress.
Yeah, no, he's flying. He's flying. Um he obviously had a really frustrating period and uh but he was, you know, rehabbed really well, spent a lot of time with um the high performance centre in Ireland. Uh and uh he's come back and it I think it's really benefited him having a good pre season, you know. Finley Billy's the same. Finley didn't make the tour and Finley's been very good uh so far in preseason. With a couple of new signings as well, Francois Van Wyck, uh he's been He's been a good sign in and he's fitted in really well coming from from Bath. Uh Jerry Kerr obviously's come in. Um and we've still got the likes of Frawls. Will Connor's got a bit of an injury still, but you know, so we've got a good group coming back in.
Um but the likes of Mark, it's like having a new player, even though he's been at Connor a while because we missed him pretty much all last season. Um and what's really struck me is his Um Ruby intelligence, I'd describe it as. Obviously, he's got an X factor in terms of like speed and speed endurance. But his uh his Ruby X factor is very good and obviously it's the first time I've really had a chance to coach him. Um So he's been playing on both wings and at full back. Um And sometimes, you know, he appears in centre at first receiver as well. So, um, yeah, he's been great. He's been great. And, you know, th there's no reason why he won't play in in um either of the preseason games, because, you know, obviously he missed it a lot of last season and we want to get him uh up to speed, obviously from a Connor perspective, but obviously from an Alan perspective as well.
You know, there's only Uh how many games? Six games, I think, before November International's. Um Uh so yeah, I'm sure
Ireland w um playing as well. The former Leinster senior coach also revealed to Dara why he decided to return to Ireland the last summer.
Uh, I moved across in July, as I say, and then did the preseason and um found a place to live which was helpful. Uh and then my wife, Nina, moved across uh full time because in in Leinster, the kids were fifteen and sixteen at the time, so it was a seven it was a commute for seven years. I was on my own.
What injury updates are there for Connacht and Ireland ahead of the new season?
Um and so yeah, so to have Nina across, um the dogs, kids are obviously a lot older now, um, plowing their own paths. Um So it's been great to actually put down some roots and, you know, settle down and and get a rhythm to life. Um, it's a tough job being a head coach. It's been a tough job being a head coach's wife as well, you know, the The criticism, the time away from home, uh the pressure of the job, um and all that. So it's been great for Nina to be across.
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