One of the game’s great characters.
Mack Hansen was one of a record 15 Ireland players selected for the 2025 Lions tour to Australia.
After the live squad announcement, the Connacht winger was video called to get his reaction.
When Lions head coach, and Hansen’s Ireland boss, Andy Farrell heard the news he quipped, ‘you can’t be serious’, as a nod to Hansen’s outspoken and flamboyant personality.
When host Lee McKenzie put it to Farrell that ‘you picked him’, he jokingly said that it was ‘the other coaches’.
After a slight delay, an emotional Hansen was put on the big screen, with a stunning Galway as his backdrop.
He said: “I was just heading for a swim.
“I’m lost for words for the first time in my life I’d say, which is good for Faz [Andy Farrell] to hear.
“It’s an incredible…. I don’t know what to say, honestly.
He also had time for a gag about Connacht teammate and fellow Lions tourist, Bundee Aki.
Hansen added: “This has been sprung on me, Bundee was meant to be doing it but he was minding the kids.”
Full Lions squad:
Props: Andrew Porter (Ireland), Ellis Genge (England), Pierre Schoeman (Scotland), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Will Stuart (England), Zander Fagerson (Scotland)
Hooker: Dan Sheehan (Ireland), Rónan Kelleher (Ireland), Luke Cowan-Dickie (England)
Lock: Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), Maro Itoje (England), James Ryan (Ireland), Scott Cummings (Scotland), Joe McCarthy (Ireland), Ollie Chessum (England)
Back row: Jack Conan (Ireland), Ben Earl (England), Henry Pollock (England), Jac Morgan (Wales), Josh van der Flier (Ireland), Tom Curry (England)
Scrum-half: Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland), Alex Mitchell (England), Tomos Williams (Wales)
Out-half: Finn Russell (Scotland), Fin Smith (England), Marcus Smith (England)
Centre: Garry Ringrose (Ireland), Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland), Huw Jones (Scotland), Bundee Aki (Ireland)
Wing: Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland), James Lowe (Ireland), Mack Hansen (Ireland), Tommy Freeman (England), Elliot Daly (England)
Fullback: Hugo Keenan (Ireland), Blair Kinghorn (Scotland)
