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After last week's disappointing performance against the Japanese team, Andy Farrell told his Irish squad to step up their performance.

The team listened immediately.

The Irish side had faded in the final stages against the All Blacks and required considerable time to find their rhythm versus Japan.

Nevertheless, against the Wallabies, they began powerfully, with Mack Hansen excelling brightest during a comprehensive triumph that represented Ireland's finest display of the season.

In his first international appearance at the number 15 position, Hansen scored a hat-trick, contested excellently for aerial challenges and performed outstandingly against the nation of his birth.

"Look, I've experienced a pretty difficult run with fitness issues really," Hansen commented.

"I missed being in this squad, I know there's considerable discussion about me not exactly being born here and I didn't grow up here, but I love this team and this feels like family.

"Any time I have to play for the national team it's a privilege, if you fail to deliver a good showing you might not receive that privilege again.

"My whole approach this period was to go out and do what I could do."

Manager declared: 'Good athletes require no excuses'

After twenty-eight appearances on the wing, the player was entrusted the full-back role for the initial time with multiple players injured.

In his case, it was essentially a matter of continuing where he finished during the summer.

The 28-year-old had been in excellent condition before injury disrupted his dream of joining the Test team.

Having returned recently, he developed a foot injury that ruled him out for earlier matches.

The coach had indicated that the player was particularly determined and these turned out to be not empty statements as the former provincial player gave his manager a positive team dilemma for upcoming games.

"Well my first thoughts were, 'You better play excellently in those two coloured shoes!'," commented the coach, alluding to Hansen's choice to wear mismatched boots.

"Actually I thought that was fitting but apparently Mack just made that himself anyway. So he's drawn notice to himself before he's even begun.

"I told to him before the match, 'Excellent athletes don't need justifications, they can get on with it and just play naturally, you can win the player of the game if you choose,' and he responded, 'Yeah, I concur.'

"Therefore he's that kind of performer, he prepares well, he's has a great approach to get across his preparation and thus that's why he slotted straight into the team and he was capable to perform naturally because of that."

Hansen's performance also received praise from the opposing coach, who remarked he was the "standout opposition performer" on the night.

"I thought he was outstanding, his knowledge showed to the front," commented the ex- international coach.

"Regrettably, Hansen was probably the best Australian player on the field. He's got a excellent ability and he's such a good contender."

When asked about what enables Hansen a good fit at the number 15 position, the coach added: "Appearing in the middle of the pitch is a trait that he demonstrates from the flank anyway, but I imagine he's more in place for that more often.

"His aerial work was excellent, wasn't it? I believed we didn't get bored of doing the correct thing and that was putting the possession again on them to gain territory.

"The reason that was the right thing to do is since it's the players of Hansen who was getting the balls back, and other teammates, so [it's] quite satisfying."

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

Sam Prendergast was outstanding on his return to the fly-half jersey, the set piece and throw-in operated effectively and another teammate did not look out of place in his first appearance in the forwards.

But possibly most satisfying for the manager was the team bookending the match with multiple impressive periods.

The player's initial two scores occurred in the first 11 minutes while other players scored in the final stages after the other team had crossed, ensuring the Irish team concluded on a high.

"I thought we really let ourselves go and attacked the game straight from the beginning," said Farrell.

"The way we managed various aspects throughout the match, particularly the opposition coming back just before half-time and regathering ourselves and giving a display like we did in the later stages, I thought as far as field position and being familiar with the majority of our game in that second half was really pleasing."

The might of the Springboks are next up for the team, in what could be viewed as an unofficial decider to the previous season's tied two-Test contest on opposition territory.

The coach's team will require to attain another standard to defeat the back-to-back title holders, but the recent victory of the Wallabies was a significant advancement in the correct direction after an uninspiring start to their fall campaign.