With a new contract bringing him up to the next Rugby World Cup in 2027, Mack Hansen says he's ready to repay the faith shown in him by the Irish management.
The Connacht wing signed a two-year central contract with the IRFU this week, the latest milestone in what’s been an almost fairytale rise for the Australia native.
Hansen moved to Ireland as a complete unknown in the summer of 2021, the 23-year-old's plan at the time was to take advantage of being an Irish-qualified Aussie and play a couple of seasons in Galway, before using professional rugby as a passport to see the world.
"Not that I didn't have aspirations to be playing for Ireland - I did - but I just never thought I was going to get there," the 27-year-old says as he reflects on his journey so far.
"My whole thinking was come over and have a bit of craic, and I think it worked in my favour, if anything. I couldn't believe I'll be here.
"I remember thinking, coming to Galway, that I was going to be living in a hut somewhere, that my lights were going to be candles and stuff like that, like I had no clue what I was coming into, to be honest with you!
"My whole thought coming over here was that my mum was born here, I had family and stuff here, and as I said at the time, I didn't really think that much was happening for me at Brum [Brumbies] so I was literally coming over here to have a bit of fun.
"Then, if I played well and something else came up, say France, Japan, whatever it was, that I was just going to keep moving on doing that, just from what my career was at Brums at the time.
"I knew that I had a bit of Irish heritage behind me which helped me get over here but no, I never could have believed that I'd be where I am now."
Recent history would suggest that the wing (above) is a nailed-on starter when available.
Having missed the Six Nations and summer tour of South Africa with a shoulder injury, Hansen may have been sweating on his place when Calvin Nash took to international rugby so comfortably, but the Connacht man was reinstated to the side for the Autumn Nations Series.
A suspension for comments about referee Chris Busby put his selection under threat in January, but he started the opening Six Nations game against England, and had been named in the team to play Scotland only to miss out with a hamstring injury.
Nash started and scored a try that day, but it wasn't enough to keep Hansen out of the side to face Wales.
"It means a lot. I owe a hell of a lot to the guys in this team.
"Andy [Farrell], who gave me my first shot but now the new coaching staff that are putting faith in me, it means a lot to me and I just want to do whatever I can to repay it for them.
"Over here is my new home and playing in this team means more to me than almost anything in my life," he added.
In two previous games against France, Hansen has been at the centre of some famous moments.
He laughs as he’s reminded of their meeting in Dublin two years ago when he looked almost certain to score a try late in the first half, only for Antoine Dupont’s feats of strength to pick up off the ground and deny him (above).
There was a better moment one year earlier when he scored a memorable try on just his second cap when he caught Johnny Sexton’s restart clean to run in and score an incredible try, which got Ireland back into the game.
"I've said it before, the only thing going through my head was if I'm not sprinting for this kick, then Faz [Farrell] is gonna yell at me, so I may as well just run.
"And then before I knew it, it was in my hands. Even as I was running over the line, I don't know, I was just thinking I was going to get smashed or something, but at least I've done my job, so he can't scream at me this time anyway. That was kind of my only thoughts."
Galway may be the Canberra man’s home for the foreseeable future, but he does have hopes of returning to Australia very soon, with a British and Irish Lions tour to his home country coming up this summer.
But he knows he faces stiff competition if he wants to be involved in Farrell’s touring squad.
"It would be class. I can actually remember the last time the Lions were there [in 2013], I was at the Brumbies game when the Brumbies beat them.
"To get the opportunity to be there would be incredible but I’ve just got to play well to make it on.
"It would be unbelievably cool to be part of it but at the end of the day it just depends how I’m playing in the Six Nations, it’s what going to get me picked.
"I’m not really thinking too far ahead, it’s just about playing week to week here. I know it’s a very generic answer but it’s sort of the way you’ve got to attack it, if you think too far in the future, you can let a lot of things slip in front of you.
"That’s all I’m focused on, winning the Six Nations to be honest."
