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After last week's underwhelming showing against Japan, the head coach challenged his Irish squad to step up their performance.

The team responded immediately.

The Irish side had struggled late against the All Blacks and taken considerable time to find their rhythm versus Japan.

However, facing the Wallabies, they began strongly, with Mack Hansen excelling brightest during a comprehensive triumph that marked Ireland's finest display of the season.

Making his debut international appearance at the number 15 position, Hansen registered a three tries, contested brilliantly for aerial challenges and played exceptionally against the nation of his origin.

"Look, I've had a fairly difficult run with fitness issues honestly," Hansen stated.

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

"Any time I get to represent for Ireland it's a privilege, if you don't put in a good showing you may not get that privilege again.

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

Manager stated: 'Good players require no excuses'

Following 28 caps on the flank, Hansen was entrusted the full-back role for the initial time with multiple players injured.

In his case, it was simply a matter of picking up where he finished during the warmer months.

The experienced player had been in superb form before physical issues ended his dream of making the Test squad.

After returned recently, he suffered a lower body problem that made him unavailable for previous fixtures.

The coach had suggested that Hansen was especially motivated and these proved not hollow words as the former club player gave his coach a welcome team headache for future games.

"Well my initial reaction were, 'You better play excellently in those different colored shoes!'," commented the coach, referring to Hansen's choice to wear mismatched boots.

"In fact I thought that was fitting but it seems Mack just made that personally regardless. So he's drawn notice to himself before he's even begun.

"I said to him before the game, 'Excellent players don't need justifications, they can get on with it and just play naturally, you can get the player of the game if you want,' and he went, 'Yeah, I concur.'

"So he's that type of performer, he trains well, he's has a excellent attitude to understand his detail and thus that's why he fitted right back in and he was capable to perform naturally due to that."

The player's efforts also earned commendation from the opposing coach, who stated he was the "exceptional Australian performer" on the evening.

"In my view he was outstanding, his knowledge was evident to the front," commented the ex- national manager.

"Unfortunately, Hansen was probably the best Australian performer on the pitch. He's got a excellent ability and he's such a good competitor."

When asked about what makes the player a good fit at full-back, the coach continued: "Showing up in the middle of the field is a trait that he demonstrates from the wing anyway, but I imagine he's more in position for that more often.

"His high ball play was brilliant, don't you think? I believed we persisted of executing the correct thing and that was putting the possession back on them to gain field position.

"Why that was the correct thing to do is because it's the players of Hansen who was getting the possessions returned, and other teammates, so [it's] pretty pleasing."

Beyond Hansen, there were multiple positives for the coach.

Sam Prendergast was outstanding on his return to the number 10 jersey, the scrum and line-out operated effectively and different player did not look uncomfortable in his debut start in the front row.

But possibly more satisfying for Farrell was Ireland bookending the game with multiple impressive spells.

The player's first two tries came in the first eleven minutes while additional players scored in the final exchanges after the other team had crossed, guaranteeing the Irish side finished on a high.

"I thought we really let ourselves go and approached the game right from the beginning," said the coach.

"How we managed various elements throughout the match, particularly them responding just before the break and regathering ourselves and producing a display like we achieved in the second half, I thought as far as field position and being familiar with the majority of our game in that second half was truly pleasing."

The might of the Springboks are awaiting for Ireland, in what might be viewed as an informal decider to the previous season's tied multiple match contest on opposition territory.

The coach's side will require to attain another level to beat the consecutive world champions, but the recent victory of the Australian team was a significant step in the right path after an uninspiring beginning to their fall schedule.