Ireland coach Mike Catt has poured cold water on the speculation that Ireland's Mack Hansen was one of the players that Andy Farrell referenced when he said certain players were 'distracted' in Biarritz.
Speaking to the media this week, the Ireland coach claimed that some Ireland players in their training camp in Biarritz succumbed to 'distractions,' while others did not. This has prompted Farrell to warn his players that there might not be more World Cups for some of the distracted players.
"I said to you in the Samoa week going to Biarritz, the reason we went there is that there’s a lot of distraction that goes on, certainly when you’re in a hotel that’s on the beach," Farrell remarked.
"Some people handled that brilliantly, some people didn’t.
"Learning from those experiences is pretty important because you don’t get second chances after this in World Cups.
"You have to wait four more years – if you’re lucky enough. Understanding what it’s all about and getting down to business is where we’re at at this stage."
Ireland has named a strong team to play Romania in their World Cup opener this Saturday, but one glaring omission is Connacht and Ireland star Hansen.
Mike Catt: Ireland wing Mack Hansen’s dropping not due to disciplinary matter https://t.co/gJJD80lgwq pic.twitter.com/pTVwBffY7f
— Indy Sport (@IndySport) September 8, 2023
Hansen, who is known for his colorful personality and excellent rugby ability, will miss the game, and speculation has emerged that Hansen was one of the players that Farrell was referencing without naming anyone was Hansen.
However, Mike Catt has claimed this is not the case on Friday.
"Not at all, no, no," Catt answered when asked if Hansen was left out for disciplinary reasons.
Hansen, who played against Italy, England, and Samoa in their warm-up games, was merely left out because of a selection call, confirms Catt. Keith Earls starts on the wing instead.
Catt said the reason for omission came down to the length of the tournament: "It's a long tournament, first and foremost, and it’s making sure that we look after everybody. In the same breath, there’s some good competition in that area too.
"It’s nothing that Mack’s done wrong. It’s not that he’s performed badly at all; I think he’d done exceptionally well in these pre-season games. So, like we say, it’s a long tournament, and we need to keep people fresh too."
Ireland team to face Romania
Fullback. 15. Hugo Keenan
Winger. 14. Keith Earls
Centres 13. Garry Ringrose 12. Bundee Aki
Winger 11. James Lowe
Outhalf 10 Jonathan Sexton Scumhalf 9. 9. Jamison Gibson-Park
Front Row 1. Andrew Porter 2. Rob Herring 3. Tadhg Furlong
Second Row 4. Joe McCarthy 5. James Ryan
Back Row 6. Tadhg Beirne 7. Peter O’Mahony 8. Caelan Doris
