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After their previous disappointing showing against Japan, the head coach challenged his Irish squad to step up their game.

Ireland responded immediately.

The Irish side had faded in the final stages against the All Blacks and taken considerable time to get going versus their Asian opponents.

Nevertheless, facing Australia, they started powerfully, with the talented back excelling most prominently during a comprehensive victory that marked the team's finest performance of the season.

Making his first test match start at full-back, Hansen scored a hat-trick, competed brilliantly for high balls and played outstandingly against the nation of his birth.

"Look, I've experienced a fairly challenging period with injuries really," Hansen stated.

"I longed for being in this squad, I know there's much talk about me not necessarily being born here and I wasn't raised here, but I adore this team and this feels like home.

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

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

Coach stated: 'Good athletes don't need justifications'

After twenty-eight appearances on the wing, the player was entrusted the number 15 position for the first time with multiple players unavailable.

In his case, it was essentially a matter of continuing where he left off during the warmer months.

The 28-year-old had been in excellent condition before physical issues ended his dream of joining the Test squad.

After come back recently, he developed a lower body injury that made him unavailable for previous matches.

The coach had indicated that the player was particularly motivated and these turned out to be not empty statements as the ex- provincial player gave his manager a positive selection headache for upcoming games.

"Well my first reaction were, 'You need to play well in those different colored shoes!'," commented Farrell, referring to Hansen's choice to wear mismatched boots.

"In fact I believed that was fitting but it seems Hansen just did that personally anyway. So he's drawn notice to himself before he's even started.

"I said 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 man of the match if you want,' and he went, 'Yes, I agree.'

"So he's that kind of performer, he trains thoroughly, he's has a excellent attitude to understand his detail and so that's why he fitted right into the team and he was able to perform naturally due to that."

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

"I thought he was super, his knowledge was evident to the front," commented the ex- national manager.

"Regrettably, Mack was likely the best opposition player on the pitch. He's has a great ability and he's such a good competitor."

Pressed about what makes the player a good option at full-back, the coach continued: "Appearing in the center of the field is something that he demonstrates from the flank anyway, but I suppose he's better in place for that more often.

"The player's high ball work was excellent, wasn't it? I thought we persisted of doing the right approach and that was putting the ball back on them to gain territory.

"The reason that was the right strategy to do is since it's the likes of Mackie who was getting the balls returned, and additional players, so [it's] pretty pleasing."

Beyond Hansen, there were numerous positives for Farrell.

Sam Prendergast was outstanding on his comeback to the fly-half jersey, the set piece and line-out operated effectively and different teammate did not appear out of place in his first start in the forwards.

But possibly most pleasing for Farrell was the team bookending the match with two strong spells.

Hansen's initial two tries occurred in the opening eleven minutes while additional teammates scored in the closing stages after the opposition had scored, guaranteeing the Irish team finished on a positive note.

"I thought we really let ourselves go and attacked the match straight from the beginning," stated the coach.

"The way we handled various elements throughout the match, especially them responding just before the break and regathering ourselves and producing a display like we achieved in the later stages, I thought as far as field position and being across the majority of our game in that later period was truly pleasing."

The strength of the Springboks are next up for the team, in what could be considered as an unofficial conclusion to the previous season's tied multiple match series on rival soil.

Farrell's side will require to attain a higher level to beat the consecutive world champions, but Saturday's defeat of the Wallabies was a important advancement in the correct direction after an disappointing beginning to their autumn campaign.