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Following their previous underwhelming showing against the Japanese team, Andy Farrell told his Ireland squad to step up their performance.

The team responded right away.

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

Nevertheless, against Australia, they started powerfully, with the talented back shining most prominently during a comprehensive triumph that marked Ireland's best display of the season.

Making his debut test match start at the number 15 position, the player scored a three tries, contested excellently for aerial challenges and played exceptionally against the country of his birth.

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

"I longed for being in this team, I understand there's much talk about me not necessarily being born here and I didn't grow up here, but I adore this group and this seems like family.

"Any time I have to play for the national team it's a honor, if you fail to deliver a performance you might not get that opportunity again.

"My whole approach this period was to take the field and perform what I could do."

Coach declared: 'Excellent players don't need justifications'

Following 28 appearances on the flank, Hansen was given the full-back role for the initial time with multiple teammates unavailable.

For him, it was simply a matter of picking up where he left off during the warmer months.

The experienced player had been in superb condition before physical issues ended his aspiration of joining the Test team.

After come back last month, he developed a lower body injury that made him unavailable for earlier matches.

The coach had suggested that the player was particularly determined and these proved not hollow words as the former provincial player gave his manager a welcome selection headache for upcoming matches.

"So my initial thoughts were, 'You better perform well in those different colored boots!'," commented Farrell, alluding to Hansen's decision to wear mismatched footwear.

"In fact I believed that was appropriate but apparently Mack just did that himself regardless. So he's drawn notice to himself before he's even started.

"I told to him before the game, 'Excellent players require no justifications, they can get on with it and just be themselves, you can win the player of the game if you want,' and he responded, 'Yes, I concur.'

"So he's that kind of player, he prepares thoroughly, he's got a great attitude to understand his detail and thus that's why he fitted right back in and he was able to be himself due to that."

The player's efforts also earned praise from the opposing manager, who stated he was the "exceptional opposition player" on the night.

"In my view he was outstanding, his knowledge was evident to the fore," said the former international manager.

"Regrettably, Mack was likely the best opposition player on the field. He's got a great ability and he's such a strong contender."

When asked about what enables Hansen a strong option at full-back, Farrell added: "Showing up in the middle of the pitch is something that he demonstrates from the flank anyway, but I imagine he's better in place for that more often.

"His aerial work was excellent, don't you think? I thought we persisted of executing the correct thing and that was putting the possession back on them to secure territory.

"Why that was the right strategy to do is because it's the players of Hansen who was getting the balls returned, and other teammates, so [it's] pretty satisfying."

Beyond Hansen, there were multiple encouraging aspects for Farrell.

Sam Prendergast was outstanding on his return to the number 10 jersey, the scrum and line-out functioned smoothly and another teammate did not look out of place in his first appearance in the front row.

But possibly more pleasing for the manager was the team bookending the game with multiple impressive spells.

Hansen's initial two tries came in the first eleven moments while additional teammates registered in the closing stages after the opposition had crossed, guaranteeing the home team concluded on a high.

"In my opinion we truly performed freely and attacked the match right from the beginning," said the coach.

"The way we handled numerous elements throughout the match, especially the opposition coming back just before half-time and reorganizing ourselves and giving a performance like we did in the second half, I thought as far as field position and being across most of our strategy in that later period was really satisfying."

The strength of South Africa are next up for Ireland, in what might be considered as an informal decider to the previous season's drawn multiple match contest on opposition soil.

Farrell's team will require to attain another standard to defeat the back-to-back title holders, but Saturday's defeat of the Wallabies was a important advancement in the correct direction after an disappointing beginning to their fall campaign.