{"id":634979,"date":"2026-09-24T22:12:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T22:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/634979\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T22:12:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T22:12:18","slug":"mack-hansen-returns-to-urc-action-for-connacht-after-11-months-out-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/634979\/","title":{"rendered":"Mack Hansen returns to URC action for Connacht after 11 months out \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ireland winger Mack Hansen<\/a> returns after missing 11 months of action for Connacht\u2019s<\/a> BKT URC<\/a> opener against the Stormers at Dexcom Stadium on Friday night (7.45pm).<\/p>\n

New signing Francois van Wyk will make his Connacht debut at loosehead prop, while academy backrower Max Flynn will also make his debut off the bench. Paul Boyle captains the side from number eight, with flankers Se\u00e1n O\u2019Brien and Shamus Hurley-Langton alongside him.<\/p>\n

Van Wyk is named in a frontrow of Eoin de Buitl\u00e9ar and Finlay Bealham, while Niall Murray and Josh Murphy form the secondrow pairing. In the backs, Ben Murphy and Josh Ioane form the 9-10 combo, while Cathal Forde starts at inside centre having recovered from the injury that kept him out of the end of last season.<\/p>\n

CONNACHT (v Stormers, Dexcom Stadium, Friday, 7.45pm): Sam Gilbert; Mack Hansen, John Devine, Cathal Forde, Finn Treacy; Josh Ioane, Ben Murphy; Francois van Wyk, Eoin de Buitl\u00e9ar, Finlay Bealham; Niall Murray, Josh Murphy; Se\u00e1n O\u2019Brien, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Paul Boyle.<\/p>\n

REPLACEMENTS: Matthew Victory, Jordan Duggan, Fiachna Barrett, David O\u2019Connor, Max Flynn, Caolin Blade, Se\u00e1n Naughton, Shayne Bolton.<\/p>\n

Caspar Gabriel starts at outhalf for Leinster<\/a> as they begin the defence of their URC<\/a> title against the Lions at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday (12.30pm Irish time).<\/p>\n

The 20-year-old started both of the province\u2019s preseason friendlies against Lyon and Zebre and retains the jersey for the first competitive game of the season, a vote of confidence from head coach Leo Cullen<\/a>. He wins his second cap.<\/p>\n

\"CasparCaspar Gabriel will start at outhalf for Leinster’s URC opener against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo\/Inpho <\/p>\n

Fullback Todd Lawlor will make his debut as will first-year academy secondrow Dylan McNeice off the bench. Andrew Porter starts at tighthead rather than loosehead, Ryan Baird is back after an injury disrupted campaign last season and starts in the secondrow, while Old Belvedere\u2019s Josh Ericson is named at number eight.<\/p>\n

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LEINSTER: Todd Lawlor; Tommy O\u2019Brien, Hugh Cooney, Charlie Tector, Andrew Osborne; Caspar Gabriel, Fintan Gunne; Alex Usanov, Gus McCarthy, Andrew Porter; Ryan Baird, Conor O\u2019Tighearnaigh; Max Deegan (capt), Scott Penny, Josh Ericson.<\/p>\n

Replacements: Stephen Smyth, Peter Dooley, Niall Smyth, Brian Deeney, Dylan McNeice, Oliver Coffey, Harry Byrne, Ciar\u00e1n Mangan.<\/p>\n

New frontrow signings Kieran Brookes and Marnus van Merwe are both included for their Munster<\/a> debuts as Brookes starts at tighthead with hooker Van der Merwe among the replacements for their opener against Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park on Saturday evening (5.30pm).<\/p>\n

Academy halfbacks Jake O\u2019Riordan and Charlie O\u2019Shea, both try-scorers in the preseason clash with Leicester Tigers last week, are named in the replacements.<\/p>\n

UCC clubman O\u2019Shea is set for his Munster debut just over a month since joining the academy. A former Dolphin RFC underage player, 20-year-old O\u2019Shea captained CBC to the Munster Schools Senior Cup title in 2025.<\/p>\n

Scrumhalf Ben O\u2019Donovan, 21, makes his first start for the province having impressed since joining the academy in February. Mike Haley, Diarmuid Kilgallen and recent academy graduate Ben O\u2019Connor start in the back three.<\/p>\n

Se\u00e1n O\u2019Brien and last year\u2019s Player of the Year Alex Nankivell partner up in the centres, with O\u2019Donovan and JJ Hanrahan in the halfbacks. Michael Milne, Diarmuid Barron and Brookes pack down in the frontrow with Evan O\u2019Connell and Fineen Wycherley in the engine room.<\/p>\n

A backrow of Jack O\u2019Donoghue, Alex Kendellen and Gavin Coombes completes the starting XV.<\/p>\n

MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Diarmuid Kilgallen, Alex Nankivell, Se\u00e1n O\u2019Brien, Ben O\u2019Connor; JJ Hanrahan, Ben O\u2019Donovan; Michael Milne, Diarmuid Barron (capt), Kieran Brookes; Evan O\u2019Connell, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O\u2019Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.<\/p>\n

Replacements: Marnus van der Merwe, Josh Wycherley, Michael Ala\u2019alatoa, Brian Gleeson, John Hodnett, Jake O\u2019Riordan, Charlie O\u2019Shea, Dan Kelly.<\/p>\n

Flanker Martin Moloney and Jamie Benson, who can play outhalf and centre, will make their Ulster<\/a> debuts against Edinburgh at the Affidea Stadium on Friday night (7.45pm).<\/p>\n

Development hooker Henry Walker, prop Keynan Knox and scrumhalf Matthew Devine are named in a youthful bench that features two academy talents. <\/p>\n

Walker, Tom McAllister, Knox, Harry Sheridan and James McKillop are the forward options, while Devine, Jake Flannery and Zac Ward are the backline reinforcements. <\/p>\n

ULSTER: Michael Lowry (capt); Robert Baloucoune, Ben Carson, Jamie Benson, Aitzol Arenzana-King; Jack Murphy, Conor McKee; Eric O\u2019Sullivan, James McCormick, Eduardo Bello; Eli Snyman, Ben Donnell; David McCann, Martin Moloney, James McNabney. <\/p>\n

Replacements: Henry Walker, Tom McAllister, Keynan Knox, Harry Sheridan, James McKillop, Matthew Devine, Jake Flannery, Zac Ward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ireland winger Mack Hansen returns after missing 11 months of action for Connacht\u2019s BKT URC opener against the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":634980,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[28454,61,60,11287,11897,112,31398,14881],"class_list":["post-634979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-connacht-rugby","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-leinster-rugby","tag-munster-rugby","tag-sports","tag-ulster-rugby","tag-united-rugby-championship"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634979","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=634979"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634979\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/634980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=634979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=634979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=634979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}