Australia-born Mack Hansen stole the show as Ireland ran rampant, scoring a hat-trick of tries in the first half to inspire a 46-19 win over Australia at Lansdowne Road in their Autumn Nations Series clash on Saturday.
The emphatic victory sets Ireland up perfectly for next Saturday’s showdown with world champions South Africa, while also marking a record win over the Wallabies. Hansen, returning from a foot injury, downplayed his personal achievement.
“That is the pleasure of playing with this team,” he said. “I just had to grab the ball and run over the line—I didn’t really have to do much! There has been a lot of talk that I wasn’t born here and didn’t grow up here, but this feels like home.”
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell praised his side for their sharper performance following below-par displays against New Zealand and Japan.
“To keep playing to the end and produce some good stuff right until the bell shows nice character,” Farrell said. “It wasn’t all going our way, but we composed ourselves well, and the second-half game management was very pleasing.”
For Australia, the match slipped away in the final 20 minutes, leaving head coach Joe Schmidt frustrated.
“Tough one to take,” Schmidt said. “They conceded a lot of penalties in the first half, and in the second half, Ireland had about 70 percent possession. The synchronisation just wasn’t there.”
The Irish attack was relentless. Hansen, starting at fullback for the first time at Test level, crossed twice in the opening 15 minutes, both converted by Sam Prendergast for a 14-0 lead. Australia hit back through Len Ikitau and Fraser McReight, closing to 19-14 at half-time.
Prendergast’s ingenuity was on display late in the first half, with a crossfield kick to Tommy O’Brien allowing Hansen to score his third. The second half saw Prendergast add a long-range drop goal before Jack Crowley’s introduction extended Ireland’s advantage. Captain Caelan Doris and late tries from Ryan Baird and Robbie Henshaw sealed a commanding victory.
Despite a brief rally from the Wallabies, including a try from Billy Pollard, Ireland never looked in danger, leaving Lansdowne Road celebrating a dominant performance and Hansen’s unforgettable hat-trick.
English