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After last week's disappointing performance against the Japanese team, the head coach challenged his Ireland squad to improve their performance.

The team listened right away.

Ireland had faded late against New Zealand and required considerable time to find their rhythm versus their Asian opponents.

However, against the Wallabies, they began powerfully, with the talented back excelling most prominently during a comprehensive victory that marked the team's finest display this year.

Making his first international appearance at the number 15 position, the player registered a three tries, competed excellently for aerial challenges and played outstandingly against the country of his birth.

"You know, I've experienced a fairly challenging period with injuries really," the athlete stated.

"I missed being in this squad, I know there's considerable talk about me not necessarily being born here and I wasn't raised here, but I love this group and this feels like family.

"Any time I get to represent for the national team it's a honor, if you don't put in a performance you may not receive that privilege again.

"My entire focus this week was to go out and do what I could do."

Coach stated: 'Good players don't need excuses'

Following twenty-eight caps on the wing, Hansen was given the full-back role for the initial time with multiple teammates injured.

For him, it was essentially a matter of continuing where he left off during the summer.

The experienced player had been in superb form before physical issues disrupted his aspiration of making the international squad.

After come back last month, he developed a lower body injury that ruled him out for previous matches.

Farrell had suggested that Hansen was especially motivated and these turned out to be not empty words as the ex- provincial player gave his coach a welcome team dilemma for future matches.

"So my first reaction were, 'You better play excellently in those different colored boots!'," commented Farrell, alluding to Hansen's decision to sport mismatched boots.

"In fact I thought that was fitting but apparently Hansen just made that personally anyway. So he's drawn notice to himself before he's even started.

"I told to him before the game, 'Good players don't need justifications, they can perform and just play naturally, you can win the player of the game if you choose,' and he responded, 'Yeah, I agree.'

"Therefore he's that type of player, he trains thoroughly, he's got a excellent approach to understand his preparation and so that's why he fitted straight into the team and he was capable to perform naturally because of that."

The player's performance also earned praise from the rival manager, who remarked he was the "exceptional Australian player" on the night.

"In my view he was outstanding, his knowledge showed to the front," commented the ex- international coach.

"Regrettably, Mack was likely the best Australian performer on the field. He's has a excellent skillset and he's such a good competitor."

When asked about what enables Hansen a good fit at full-back, Farrell added: "Appearing in the middle of the field is something that he demonstrates from the wing regardless, but I suppose he's better in position for that frequently.

"The player's aerial play was brilliant, don't you think? I believed we persisted of executing the right approach and that was putting the possession again on them to secure territory.

"The reason that was the correct thing to do is because it's the players of Mackie who was securing the possessions returned, and other teammates, so [it's] quite satisfying."

Beyond the star performer, there were numerous positives for Farrell.

Another player was excellent on his return to the fly-half position, the set piece and throw-in operated effectively and different teammate did not appear uncomfortable in his first appearance in the forwards.

But possibly most pleasing for the manager was the team framing the match with multiple impressive periods.

Hansen's initial two tries came in the opening eleven moments while additional players scored in the final exchanges after the other team had scored, guaranteeing the Irish team finished on a positive note.

"In my opinion we really let ourselves go and attacked the match straight from the beginning," stated the coach.

"How we handled various aspects throughout the match, particularly them coming back just before half-time and regathering ourselves and producing a display like we achieved in the second half, I believed as far as territory and being familiar with the majority of our strategy in that second half was really pleasing."

The strength of the Springboks are next up for the team, in what could be considered as an informal conclusion to last year's tied two-Test contest on rival territory.

The coach's team will require to reach another level to beat the consecutive world champions, but Saturday's defeat of the Wallabies was a significant step in the right direction after an uninspiring beginning to their fall schedule.