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Mack Hansen couldn’t stop himself from reflecting on the lessons learned from last Friday night’s defeat by Argentina and looking forward to his first start for the British and Irish Lions against Western Force on Saturday.

An arresting line from a compelling character, “The only team that can beat us is us,” he says. “We’re going to let us down if we’re not on it and we’re not doing things to the best of our ability.”

You couldn’t tell from Hansen’s demeanor when he spoke about it that he had a strong impact when he came off the bench against Argentina. The Ireland wing is undoubtedly laid-back, but only a small percentage of who he is thanks to his eccentricity and relaxed personality.

He also has a deadly seriousness. We lost, so it was a really strange feeling because I’ve officially become a Lion, which is incredible and everything. Regardless of the team you’re playing, we are four of the best in the world.

The ACT Brumbies team, which includes his former house-mate Bayley Kuenzle, who starts on the bench for the hosts in Perth, will start with the Australian-born winger starting on Saturday against the Force, a team that includes three of his old friends from the ACT Brumbies.

Hansen’s self-assured attitude is widely praised, but he also reveals a different side. Does he experience anxiety? Will he be concerned before leaving Saturday’s Optus Stadium?

He says, “Definitely, yeah, yeah,” “yes.” I can’t even eat anything, you know, before the game. You have butterflies, you feel sick, and you are undoubtedly carrying all of that, but you are aware that this is the best job there is. I’d rather be in the moment than waiting for them to vanish.

To be honest, anyone who claims they don’t feel anxious is lying. Because there are so many things at stake, playing at those levels is exactly what comes with doing so. There is a meaning to it.

Hansen, 27, has an odd side. He doesn’t score try-scorers very often for his wing. Only once has he ever been an elite player with double-figures. He is not very tall, he isn’t very quick by modern standards, and he isn’t as powerful as many people think. He is not exactly a physical specimen.

However, his entire package is a remarkable package. The secret is in his intelligence. Andy Farrell, his Ireland and Lions coach, enjoys that aspect of it. His game awareness, his decision-making, his work ethic, his sense of space, and his adage, “Do you know what you’re doing right at the right time” are all traits.

“I suppose the other guys, Tommy Freeman, and James Lowe,” would be a little quicker and more aggressive than I am. Simply put, that’s not my style. I make an effort to assist wherever I can, whether that means getting the ball in my hands, playing back, or anything else.

My main focus is on my off-the-ball work, which is why I do it so frequently. Keep working, and wherever I can, try to be as interested in the game. That is a modest assessment. Hanzen is an exceptional player.

He makes some interesting observations about the players’ likely mindsets for Saturday in the Force. That team will undoubtedly be able to prepare for that when you’re facing a large team like ours, he says.

They only have one game until vacation. You can improve. No, we don’t expect anything simple. They aren’t playing the Force this week, and they are saying, “All right, boys, let’s go out here and lose by 40.”

They believe we can cause an uproar, they say.

similar to what the Brumbies did in June 2013. The Canberra boys won 14-12 after Tevita Kuridrani scored the only try.

Hansen, who was born and raised in Canberra and has an Irish mother, recalls, “I was at the Brumbies game and the Brumbies beat the Lions.”

“Things do occur,” he declared. I vividly recall the excitement surrounding that tour, seeing these players you never really get to see. It just seemed so amazing to me and was cool. I’m actually living a dream right now that it’s here and I’m doing it.

Once upon a time, Brumbies’ victory was a glorious memory, but now he’s turning it into a salutary tale and an experience to keep his toes afloat. Fear of failure can be suffocating, but when used wisely, it can be a powerful force for good.

“I attended the Brumbies game with my dad and my brother.” He claims that we were seated in the backseat. You don’t expect anyone to actually do it, so it was a mad thing. Afterward, I spoke with some guys who were enthusiastic about that. They had spent weeks anticipating that game.

Hansen anticipates that the Force will not change. This is a chance for them to bounce back from a bad season, and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to turn over the Lions.

After leading team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri to a McLaren one-two in Friday practice at the Austrian Grand Prix, Lando Norris predicted a “tight” qualifying period.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was third fastest, 0. 318 seconds off the pace, behind Piastri, who was 0. 157 seconds quicker.

Lance Stroll from Aston Martin came in fourth place, ahead of George Russell’s Mercedes and Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.

This weekend, all of the McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari models will receive upgrades.

McLaren has updated its front suspension shaping to work with a brand-new front wing that was first tested at the most recent Canadian race.

Norris concluded the session by saying that the car “felt good from the beginning.”

Verstappen claimed that Red Bull had a new floor edge and that the car “lacks a little pace” and “a little too much understeer in the car” in addition to short run and long runs. We must make an effort to eliminate that.

Ferrari’s new floor, which was Lewis Hamilton’s 10th fastest, is their first upgrade since Bahrain in April, completely redesigned.

“A lot of work was put in place to bring the floor, but as you can see, it hasn’t necessarily affected our competitiveness. Hamilton remarked. The car actually doesn’t feel bad; it just moves very slowly, “we.” We must examine that.

Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull placed seventh, followed by Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso of Sauber, and Hamilton of Aston Martin.

The later stages of the race simulation gave a complex picture, with the leading drivers choosing various tire types.

Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, who is 11th fastest on the list of headline lap times, appeared to have a slight advantage over Norris and Leclerc on the medium tyre.

Verstappen ran a short distance on a soft tyre while Piastri ran a long distance on a hard tyre, slightly quicker than Hamilton.

We may have moved a little slower than some of the others, but I’m confident that they will eventually catch up. Max is close behind, and Red Bull’s performance tends to improve significantly going into Saturday.

“I anticipate a good day tomorrow, and I’m confident that some things will change,” he said. Tomorrow will still be tense. It is always that way.

Verstappen is the driver who has the best chance of posing as the McLarens, according to Piastri, the championship leader. This weekend, he’ll undoubtedly pose a threat, the Australian warned.

“The car is feeling good, and I think it’s a really good day,” the driver said.

Russell, who won the Canadian Grand Prix two weeks ago, claimed Mercedes was completely surprised by his time that had topped first practice.

We need to consider why we didn’t have the same pace as we did in the qualifying runs this morning, and the race pace was significantly slower than it did in the qualifying runs, he continued.

McLaren’s Alexander Dunne made an impressive F1 debut in the first session.

The 19-year-old Irishman finished fourth fastest behind Piastri, who is leading the Formula 2 championship this year and who had his first taste of an F1 car on a grand prix weekend.

In order to prepare for his race at the Red Bull Ring, Dunne recently had a test in McLaren’s 2023 car in Austin, Texas.

In addition to then McLaren driver Alonso, Dunne’s performance can be seen as being comparable to Norris’ similar pace when he drove in practice at the 2018 Italian Grand Prix.

After German authorities said their fans were unable to watch pre-season games in the country, Leeds has offered an “unreserved apology.”

As they get ready to reclaim the Premier League, the Whites will travel to Germany for an eight-day training camp.

Due to the resources required to host Euro 2024, Daniel Farke’s side traveled on a similar note last year. Police and local authorities instructed them not to bring supporters.

Leeds claim to have received “written assurances” from their tour operator and the German Football Association that fans will be able to attend this year but have since been denied that.

We were informed in the last week that the police and local authorities would once again refuse to let us play games in front of crowds, would not allow us to provide live updates and video streams, and have asked to discourage supporter travel, Leeds said in a statement.

“This occurs despite numerous attempts to find a solution, including considering alternative scenarios that would allow for fan attendance, and even considering moving camp to a different location on short notice.

Unfortunately, those efforts failed because of how quickly things changed in our society.

“We are deeply disappointed in this outcome, just as it will undoubtedly irritate and annoy you, our devoted supporters, to whom we express our sincere condolences.”

The Leeds United Supporters Trust said the club will be contacting the German authorities if there is “any reasonable explanation” for the decision.

The group expressed respect for the club and Daniel Farke’s desire to maintain a successful training camp in Germany, but they must provide a compelling reason why Leeds United fans are being unfairly excluded once more, according to the group.

Leeds fans can also watch pre-season friendlies against Villarreal on August 2 and 3 against AC Milan in Dublin and Manchester United in Stockholm on August 2 next month.