Pallade Veneta - Australia-born Lion Hansen faces 'pinch-me' moment against old team

The 27-year-old, whose mother is Irish, grew up in Canberra and spent three seasons with the Super Rugby club before a move to Connacht in 2021.

A Test call-up followed from Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, now in charge of the Lions, and Hansen has not looked back.

He has started two of the Lions three games in Australia so far and is set to come off the bench against the Brumbies, Australia's strongest provincial side although they are without a slew of top players on Wallabies duty.

"It's incredible," said Hansen of being back in Canberra.

"It is a bit of a pinch-me moment -- not in my wildest dreams could I imagine I would be back here playing for the Lions, so it is very special.

"I've got about 30 friends or family coming, I've had people coming out the woodwork asking for tickets for a while now."

Hansen will come face-to-face with "two of my best mates" in Ryan and Lachlan Lonergan, who are both in the Brumbies starting XV.

"I haven’t played against them in a while so it will be a nice switch-up," said Hansen.

"It will be an interesting experience, I don't know how I will feel until I'm out on the field."

Scrum-half Ryan Lonergan is Brumbies captain for the day and said it would be "super special" to face-off against his boyhood friend.

"We’ve been great mates since we're about 12 really," he told reporters, adding that he was proud of what Hansen had achieved.

"We had a pretty set back three here at the time and he just took a stab and went overseas and we're all happy for him."

The Lions won their two opening tour games with ease, crushing Western Force 54-7 and the Queensland Reds 52-12, but they met resistance from the NSW Waratahs in a grinding 21-10 victory.

Farrell has named a strong side led by Maro Itoje to face the Brumbies, with Tommy Freeman and James Lowe starting on the wings.

A.dCosmo--PV