Dan McKellar comes up against his former Brumbies colleague Mack Hansen on Saturday and admits the Ireland wing is one that got away from Australia.
Hansen faces the country of his birth for the first time on Saturday, chasing a third try in as many games as Ireland look to end their autumn with a record-equalling 12th home victory.
McKellar handed Hansen his Brumbies debut in 2019 and started him in all eight Super Rugby AU regular season matches last year, but didn't stand in his way when he decided to swap his native Canberra for Galway.
"He’s a good mate, a good man, a really lovable sort of character," said McKellar, who in May ended his five-year stint as Brumbies boss to become forwards coach of Australia.
"I remember the first time he came in to see me and said he was going to Connacht. Having spent time in Ireland myself, I knew he would love Ireland and that the Irish would love him.
"He has come over here and importantly, he has earned their respect through his performances. He has really kicked on.
"He is a different type of player to probably what the Irish are used to. The first time I saw Mack he was a 17-year-old out of school and you could just tell he was a natural footballer. That’s what he provides the Irish team.
"He is a winger but he gets in at first receiver, he distributes and will often throw a pass that creates a line break or is a try assist. And he will score them as well.
"I was sad to see him go. He left Canberra and the Brumbies because he is a Canberra boy and lived there all his life. He wanted a new life experience. If you asked Mack if he was going to play for Ireland six to 12 months into that experience, he probably would have laughed. He has earned that right and is in a good place."
Hansen scored tries in both of Ireland’s wins against South Africa and Fiji this month, taking his tally to three in eight appearances.
The 24-year-old was nominated for World Rugby’s breakthrough player of the year along with Ireland team-mate Dan Sheehan.
A case of one that got away for Australia?
"I think so," replied McKellar. "He has always been that player who had the potential to kick on.
"You're happy for the individual but disappointed he’s wearing green this weekend and not gold. That was the career path that he took.
"Others do the same. It happens, it’s pretty commonplace now in international rugby. He’s not the only guy in the Irish side with foreign heritage.
"You’re pleased for him and understand he’ll be a threat for us on Saturday evening."
Hansen isn’t the only familiar face in the Ireland squad. McKellar also worked with another Finlay Bealham in 2011 during their time at Tuggeranong Vikings and he urged the prop to accept an academy contract with Connacht.
Bealham's career remains on an upward curve and he has cemented himself as Ireland’s back-up tighthead to Tadhg Furlong.
"The first year I coached Tuggeranong, I was there probably about a month, and there was a young tighthead prop there who played a bit of second row," said McKellar.
"He came into my office and said, 'I’ve got the chance to go to the academy at Connacht’. I said, 'mate, jump at it’.
"Again, what a progression for him. He’s really developed into a good international tighthead prop and forged out a pretty impressive career over here.
"Two Canberra boys who I know well, I’m pleased for them."
McKellar is looking forward to catching up with the pair this week, as well as those at Wicklow RFC, where he cut his teeth in coaching over 20 years ago.
"I came to Wicklow as a 25-year-old," he said. "It was my first coaching job, I was player-coach. It was a great experience.
"I coached them for a year. I still had the dream of becoming a professional rugby player, but coaching was always something that I wanted to do. They gave me an opportunity as a young man. I was coaching blokes 10 years older than me.
"I’ll head back down to Wicklow during the week and have a pint with them, say g’day. They’re good people, great memories."
McKellar and Australia arrived in Dublin on Sunday on the back of a shock defeat against Italy. They have been on the receiving end of some stinging criticism back home, with former captain Stirling Mortlock wring off their Rugby World Cup chances after the "train wreck" loss in Florence.
Having suffered one-point defeats in their last two matches, France edging them 30-29 the week previous, McKellar said their discipline must show marked improvement if they are to upset an Ireland team he ranks as the best in the world currently.
"Rugby is a complex game and you’re going to give penalties away, but it’s the silly penalties you can easily avoid that are hurting us at critical moments," said McKellar.
"It’s a huge focus for us at training, there are consequences in and around it. We review it thoroughly and we certainly made big strides and improvements in the first two games, but against the Italians we fell back into bad habits. There was a number of offside penalties there.
"Ireland have got all areas of their game in really good shape at the moment. They’ve got a good set-piece, Johnny [Sexton] just orchestrates, he sits in the pocket and directs. He’s one of the best players in the world and just getting better and better with age.
"The detail around their game, the lines, depth, width, all the little microskills you look at as a coach, they certainly have them nailed."
Follow a live blog of Ireland v Australia on RTÉ.ie/sport and RTÉ News app this Saturday from 8pm with live radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.
