Ireland’s Mack Hansen “All Good” Ahead of World Cup Quarter-Final Against New Zealand

In a promising update, Ireland wing Mack Hansen has been declared “all good” after wearing heavy strapping on his calf during the captain’s run at Stade de France ahead of Saturday’s highly anticipated World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand. Despite being forced off in last week’s Pool B win over Scotland, Hansen was named to start by head coach Andy Farrell on Wednesday.

Backs coach Mike Catt confirmed that Hansen is looking fit and ready for action, stating, “Yeah, everybody’s fit, Mack looking sprightly as ever, so he’s gone well.” When asked about the strapping on his calf, Catt reassured fans by saying, “He’s all good to run freely.”

The positive news doesn’t end there for Ireland as lock James Ryan also participated in training after initially being ruled out with a wrist problem earlier this week. Catt expressed satisfaction with Ryan’s progress and added that both Robbie Henshaw (hamstring) and James were present at training and are progressing nicely. He further revealed that Ryan underwent a procedure on his wrist earlier this week but expects him to be available for next week if Ireland reaches the semi-finals.

Aiming Beyond Quarters: Can Ireland Make History?

As they prepare to face New Zealand in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup, Ireland finds themselves in uncharted territory. Despite their record as a consistently strong team, Ireland has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals in previous World Cups. However, this time around is different.

Ireland enters Saturday’s game as the world’s number one side with an impressive 17-match winning streak dating back to last summer’s series victory over the All Blacks on New Zealand soil. They have already made a statement in this tournament by defeating holders South Africa while New Zealand missed out on a similar opportunity when they lost to France in their opening match.

Number eight Caelan Doris believes that Ireland can draw confidence and belief from their journey since the last World Cup, where they secured a Grand Slam earlier this year. Speaking about the progress of the team, Doris said, “It’s been quite a big journey with this group through coaches and players’ desire to constantly improve.” He emphasized that there is immense belief within the squad due to significant wins against New Zealand both at home and away as well as victories over South Africa.

Doris continued, stating how important it is for them not to dwell on past failures but rather focus on building upon recent successes. While some veteran players may reflect on previous campaigns, Doris highlighted that Ireland has built confidence over the past three or four years and draws strength from those experiences.