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After their previous underwhelming performance against Japan, Andy Farrell told his Irish team to step up their performance.

Ireland listened right away.

Ireland had struggled in the final stages against New Zealand and required most of the match to find their rhythm versus Japan.

However, facing the Wallabies, they started powerfully, with Mack Hansen excelling most prominently during a 46-19 victory that represented Ireland's best display of the season.

In his first international start at the number 15 position, the player scored a hat-trick, competed brilliantly for aerial challenges and played exceptionally against the nation of his birth.

"Look, I've had a fairly difficult period with fitness issues honestly," the athlete stated.

"I longed for being in this team, I know there's considerable talk about me not necessarily being raised here and I didn't grow up here, but I adore this group and this feels like home.

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

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

Coach declared: 'Good athletes don't need excuses'

After twenty-eight appearances on the flank, the player was entrusted the number 15 position for the initial time with several players unavailable.

For him, it was essentially a case of continuing where he finished during the summer.

The 28-year-old had been in excellent form before physical issues disrupted his dream of making the Test team.

After returned recently, he developed a foot injury that made him unavailable for previous fixtures.

The coach had suggested that the player was especially motivated and these turned out to be not empty statements as the ex- club player gave his coach a welcome team headache for future matches.

"So my initial reaction were, 'You need to play well in those two colored shoes!'," commented Farrell, alluding to the player's decision to sport mismatched footwear.

"Actually I thought that was appropriate but apparently Hansen just made that himself regardless. So he's drawn notice to himself before he's even started.

"I said to him before the game, 'Good athletes require no excuses, they can get on with it and just play naturally, you can win the player of the game if you choose,' and he responded, 'Yes, I agree.'

"So he's that type of performer, he prepares thoroughly, he's got a great approach to get across his detail and thus that's why he slotted right back in and he was able to perform naturally because of that."

The player's efforts also earned commendation from the rival manager, who remarked he was the "standout opposition performer" on the evening.

"In my view he was super, his experience showed to the fore," said the former international manager.

"Regrettably, Hansen was likely the best Australian player on the pitch. He's has a excellent ability and he's such a good competitor."

Pressed about what enables Hansen a strong fit at full-back, Farrell continued: "Appearing in the center of the field is something that he demonstrates from the wing regardless, but I imagine he's better in position for that frequently.

"His high ball play was excellent, wasn't it? I believed we persisted of executing the right thing and that was putting the ball again on them to gain field position.

"The reason that was the correct thing to do is because it's the players of Hansen who was securing the balls returned, and additional teammates, so [it's] quite pleasing."

Beyond the star performer, there were multiple encouraging aspects for the coach.

Another player was outstanding on his comeback to the number 10 position, the scrum and throw-in functioned smoothly and another teammate did not appear uncomfortable in his first start in the forwards.

But possibly more satisfying for Farrell was the team framing the match with multiple impressive spells.

Hansen's initial two scores came in the first eleven minutes while other teammates registered in the final stages after the other team had crossed, ensuring the Irish side finished on a positive note.

"In my opinion we really let ourselves go and approached the game right from the word go," stated the coach.

"The way we handled various aspects during the game, especially the opposition coming back just before the break and reorganizing ourselves and giving a performance like we did in the later stages, I believed as far as territory and being familiar with the majority of our strategy in that second half was truly satisfying."

The might of South Africa are awaiting for the team, in what might be considered as an informal conclusion to last year's drawn multiple match contest on opposition territory.

The coach's team will require to attain another standard to beat the back-to-back title holders, but the recent defeat of the Wallabies was a important step in the correct path after an disappointing beginning to their fall campaign.