These are exciting times for Sean Jansen and Connacht. The 26-year-old Kiwi has become a mainstay for the province this season, until being laid low by flu last week, he’s very much on Andy Farrell’s radar and under Stuart Lancaster, he and Connacht are shooting high.
Jansen is on the bench for this Saturday’s URC game away to the Dragons in Rodney Parade (kick-off 7.45pm) before upcoming games at home to Ulster on Saturday week, against Leinster in the Aviva on January 3rd, then Montpellier (away) and Montauban (home), before the grand opening of the new Clan Stand at the Dexcom Stadium and a record-breaking 12,000-plus sell-out for the visit of Leinster on January 24th.
“There is a massive buzz about it,” admits Jansen, who says the players are being taken around the new stand next Tuesday. “That’ll be awesome. It’s been sitting there empty for so long, I can’t even imagine people in there. But that game is already sold out. So, I hope we can get some good performances before we’re in there.”
Like his head coach, Jansen points to Connacht drawing a blank in six interpros last season, and losing 17-15 to Munster in round five this season.
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“It’s been a big thing on our list this season, especially at home. We should be winning those games. They should be our biggest games of the season.”
In the interim, a trek to Newport mightn’t seem as glamorous, but the match points are the same value as any marquee derby.
“We’re talking of this as our biggest game of the season so far. The way the season goes, this is a must-win for us. It’s a huge game and they’re a good team. They came back well against Lyon,” Jansen notes of the Dragons’ winning 23-21 from 21-6 down with three tries in the last 15 minutes against the Top 14 side last week.
“They could have beaten Leinster and they’re looking good this year. We’re going full strength into this game.”
Jansen made time for this interview on his day off, after a haircut and a recovery sauna, and before hitting a few golf balls on the range with his fellow Kiwi, Josh Ioane. Born and reared in Dunedin, Jansen’s maternal grandparents James Brown and Maura Foster hailed from Belfast and Monasterevin.
“They both left Ireland when they were 17/18 and met on the boat to New Zealand. Back then it was a two/three-month trip to get to New Zealand. I always was proud to be Irish and I never thought I’d leave New Zealand. But it’s pretty cool to come over here and meet all these family members I’ve never known.”
His mum, Kathleen, is a nurse who married Fred Jansen, a policeman, and they reared five kids in the suburbs of Dunedin; Ciaran, Emily, Eileen, Sean and Braeden.
Similarities
“The beaches, and the culture of going for coffee and going for breakfast, it’s similar to Galway, and it’s a ‘uni’ town as well. There are a lot of similarities between the two; both are cousins of the big cities.
“We didn’t grow up with loads, but we weren’t without anything either and we had a big extended family. Like most kids, I loved sport and watched the All Blacks or the Highlanders whenever they were on. Just a normal upbringing, in a good way.”
Initially he played football as his mum regarded rugby as dangerous. But no Kiwi boy can really avoid rugby. He began playing at 13 at Kings High School before taking to the game when 15/16 at Otago Boys High School, progressing from outhalf to lock, which he “hated”, following a sudden growth spurt and then to the backrow.
He’s always liked carrying and tackling.
“In New Zealand, every lunchtime you’re playing rugby league or bullrush and I’ve always loved the physicality. That’s the way it is in New Zealand, just running at someone and bumping someone off. It’s always been my thing.”
After school, he went into the Otago Academy, and played with Green Island, but admits: “To be honest, I hung around with the wrong mates and got in a bit of trouble as a young person. I thought I could train hard and do whatever with your mates and be fine, but I was young and dumb and then I couldn’t really get into the Otago team.”
He did make the North Otago and Otago B teams before his uncle, Luke Jansen, who worked for the Institute of Sport in Australia, advised him to make a highlights video. Jansen thought nothing of it, but then this led to him receiving a call from his uncle on New Year’s Eve 2021, informing him that Leicester Tigers were interested.
“I didn’t even know who they were. I hopped on to Insta and saw they had 157,000 followers. Two weeks later I had a call from Steve Borthwick and three weeks later I was on a flight to England. I was quite lucky the way it happened.”
Then 22, he admits to being “a bit star-struck” of players like Julián Montoya, George Ford and Nemani Nadolo, adding: “I’d been to Australia twice. We didn’t really go on many holidays and suddenly I’m in England by myself. It was cool, but it was tough, 20/30 hours away from my family and friends.”
`Surreal’
But Jansen will always remember his “surreal” debut in a Welford Road sell-out against Harlequins. He loved the crowd’s support and is grateful for Borthwick’s many one-on-one sessions. “He told me to ‘go as hard as you can until I tell you to chill out’ and me being young, I’d say a few boys didn’t like me because I was a bit physical at training. But I was playing for a contract.”
While in Leicester, he also met his partner, Sade, and mother of their 16-month-old son, Izaiah, whose name arose from a dream he had, and they now live in Knocknacarra. After making 11 appearances and scoring five tries in his one full season, 2022-23, Leicester wanted to keep him, but he didn’t want to spend two more seasons behind Jasper Wiese. Connacht’s offer had additional appeal given his Irish qualifications.
“I’ve always been someone that’s liked shooting as high as possible, and there was the pull to play footy in Ireland, where my heritage is, and hopefully one day play for the national side.” That’s something his mum says would have made her late parents proud.
Groin and shoulder injuries restricted him to eight games in his first season but after 18 matches last season he believes he’s become “way more professional” since joining Connacht. He’s credits the influence of players such as Cian Prendergast and their physio, Dave ‘Chopper’ Hanly, as well as being exposed to Emerging Ireland and Ireland A teams, and Lancaster.
“Stu’s definitely made us tighter. It’s enjoyable to go in every day, especially with the new facilities, which are so good. I’m really enjoying playing here.”
Jansen and Connacht could be on the verge of special things.
