Mack Hansens scores insane Ireland try to leave France defence coach "raging"

02/12/2022

Scoring your first international try is a moment for any professional to savour, but few rugby stars can boast a maiden score quite as unique as Ireland winger Mack Hansen's.

The Connacht speedster made a sensational entry to the Test arena after he was named Player of the Match in last week's 29-7 win over Wales in Ireland's Six Nations opener.

Clearly not content with the impact made at the Aviva Stadium, Hansen—whose mother hails from Cork—silenced the Stade de France with a superb first try for his adopted country on Saturday.

The timing couldn't have been better, either, considering it came as Les Bleus led 10-0 in Paris, with captain Antoine Dupont having raced in for the game's opening try.

Full-back Melvyn Jaminet added a penalty to that total to dampen Irish spirits, but the 10-point cushion lasted only a few seconds after Hansen caught the ball from kick-off and sped over the line.

The former Brumbies back's intervention could hardly have been better timed as Irish heads just started to drop, pulling off the kind of kick chase that most players spend careers dreaming about.

Jaminet and Penaud were left looking to their team-mates after realising their blunder in not catching the ball first—even if France kept their cool to head in as 19-7 leaders at the break.

Despite the attacking prowess on display, England legend and 2003 World Cup -winner Neil Back bemoaned the lack of defensive awareness shown by the hosts.

"Poor @FranceRugby defence, Shaun Edwards will be raging," he wrote on Twitter, referring to the former Wales coach who has overhauled France's defence in the past two years.

Edwards is highly regarded for helping Wales cement their status as having one of the best defences in world rugby during an 11-year tenure with the team, helping them win four Six Nations titles (and three Grand Slams).

Edwards' influence has undoubtedly aided Les Bleus, and his influence was apparent when France beat New Zealand 40-25 in the autumn.

Even the All Blacks don't have a Hansen among their arsenal, however, and the would-be Wallaby got his Ireland account up and running in the most sensational circumstances.

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