Mack Hansen to return 'just a little wiser', says Connacht boss Pete Wilkins

Pete Wilkins is confident Mack Hansen won't lose any of his personality after he completes his URC-mandated education session about how to conduct dealings with the media.

The Ireland and Connacht wing was handed a three-match ban for his comments made after Connacht's URC loss to Leinster in December.

The 26-year-old hit out at what he felt was on-going bias against his side, calling it "bull***t".

The United Rugby Championship handed down a three-game ban, which ends after Friday’s trip to Glasgow, although the Australia native is already away with the international team as they prepare for the Guinness Six Nations.

In addition to the playing ban, Hansen was told to undertake "an appropriate course (related to match officiating)... with the learnings to be disseminated with his team-mates at Connacht."

The province themselves were ordered to "run an education session with their players about how to conduct themselves in post-match media sessions and interactions with the media".

Speaking to RTÉ Sport on Monday morning, Wilkins, whose side qualified for the Challenge Cup last-16 as top seeds after Friday's win at Cardiff, confirmed the additional stipulations are still to be completed.

"It's a work in progress at this stage," he said.

"So the URC has sent through some suggestions, I suppose, as to what that education piece might look like.

"That's being handled by the club and obviously Mack's now away in camp so he won't be able to finish all of that immediately.

"There'll be bits of it that he can do whilst he's away and bits of it that that may have to pause till he gets back.

"They're still finalising exactly what that education piece looks like, and then we'll be able to put a plan in place when he can complete it."

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