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After their previous disappointing showing against Japan, the head coach challenged his Irish team to improve their performance.

Ireland listened immediately.

Ireland had struggled late against New Zealand and taken most of the match to get going versus their Asian opponents.

However, facing Australia, they started powerfully, with the talented back shining most prominently during a 46-19 victory that marked the team's best performance of the season.

Making his first international start at the number 15 position, Hansen scored a three tries, contested brilliantly for aerial challenges and performed outstandingly against the nation of his birth.

"You know, I've had a fairly difficult run with injuries honestly," Hansen stated.

"I missed being in this team, I know there's considerable discussion about me not exactly being born here and I wasn't raised here, but I love this team and this seems like family.

"Whenever I have to represent for Ireland it's a honor, if you fail to deliver a performance you might not get that privilege again.

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

Manager declared: 'Excellent athletes require no excuses'

After twenty-eight appearances on the flank, the player was given the full-back position for the initial time with multiple players unavailable.

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

The experienced player had been in excellent condition before injury disrupted his aspiration of making the international team.

After come back last month, he suffered a foot injury that made him unavailable for previous fixtures.

The coach had suggested that Hansen was particularly motivated and these turned out to be not hollow words as the ex- club player gave his manager a welcome selection headache for future games.

"Well my initial reaction were, 'You need to play well in those two colored shoes!'," said the coach, referring to the player's choice to sport mismatched footwear.

"In fact I believed that was appropriate but apparently Mack just made that himself anyway. So he's attracted notice to himself before he's even begun.

"I told to him before the match, 'Good players require no excuses, they can perform and just play naturally, you can get the man of the match if you want,' and he responded, 'Yeah, I agree.'

"So he's that kind of player, he trains thoroughly, he's has a excellent approach to get across his detail and thus that's why he slotted straight into the team and he was able to be himself due to that."

Hansen's performance also earned praise from the rival coach, who remarked he was the "exceptional Australian performer" on the night.

"In my view he was super, his knowledge showed to the front," said the former international coach.

"Regrettably, Hansen was likely 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 the player a strong option at the number 15 position, the coach continued: "Appearing in the center of the field is a trait that he does from the wing regardless, but I suppose he's more in place for that frequently.

"His high ball work was excellent, wasn't it? I believed we didn't get bored of executing the right thing and that was placing the possession again on them to gain territory.

"Why that was the right thing to do is since it's the likes of Hansen who was getting the possessions returned, and additional players, so [it's] quite pleasing."

Beyond Hansen, there were multiple encouraging aspects for Farrell.

Sam Prendergast was excellent on his return to the fly-half position, the scrum and throw-in functioned effectively and another teammate did not look uncomfortable in his debut appearance in the forwards.

But perhaps most pleasing for the manager was the team bookending the game with two impressive periods.

The player's first couple of tries occurred in the first eleven moments while other teammates scored in the final exchanges after the opposition had scored, ensuring the home team concluded on a positive note.

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

"How we managed various elements throughout the game, especially the opposition responding just before the break and regathering ourselves and giving a display like we did in the later stages, I believed as far as territory and being familiar with the majority of our game in that later period was really pleasing."

The might of South Africa are next up for the team, in what might be viewed as an unofficial decider to the previous season's drawn two-Test contest on opposition soil.

The coach's side will need to attain another level to defeat the consecutive world champions, but the recent victory of the Wallabies was a significant advancement in the correct path after an disappointing start to their autumn schedule.