Best Australian player was wearing Irish colours, Wallabies coach says after heavy loss

<ul><li><p>Joe Schmidt says 46-19 defeat to Ireland is ‘a tough one to take’</p></li><li><p>Australia on brink of first winless Europe trip in 67 years</p></li></ul><p>The beleaguered Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has ruefully admitted that the best Australian player on the pitch in his side’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/nov/16/the-wallabies-were-meant-to-prove-theyre-back-but-instead-they-have-gone-backwards">latest calamitous defeat</a> was playing in Irish green.</p><p>Mack Hansen, the ex-Brumby who grew up in Canberra and was snapped up by his mother’s home country, scored his hat-trick of tries within the first half-hour to kickstart Ireland’s record 46-19 win over Australia in Dublin on Saturday.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/nov/16/australia-wallabies-lose-to-ireland-best-mack-hansen-joe-schmidt">Continue reading...</a>