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

Ireland responded right away.

The Irish side had faded in the final stages against the All Blacks and required considerable time to find their rhythm versus Japan.

However, facing Australia, they started powerfully, with the talented back excelling brightest during a 46-19 triumph that represented Ireland's finest display of the season.

In his first international start at full-back, Hansen registered a hat-trick, competed excellently for high balls and performed outstandingly against the nation of his birth.

"You know, I've had a fairly challenging run with fitness issues really," Hansen stated.

"I missed being in this squad, I understand there's much discussion about me not exactly being raised here and I didn't grow up here, but I love this group and this feels like family.

"Whenever I get to play for Ireland it's a privilege, if you fail to deliver a good showing you might not receive that opportunity again.

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

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

After twenty-eight appearances on the wing, the player was entrusted the full-back position for the initial time with multiple teammates unavailable.

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

The experienced player had been in excellent form before injury disrupted his aspiration of making the Test squad.

After returned last month, he suffered a lower body problem that made him unavailable for previous matches.

The coach had suggested that Hansen was especially determined and these turned out to be not hollow statements as the former club player gave his coach a positive selection headache for upcoming games.

"So my first reaction were, 'You better play well in those different coloured shoes!'," commented Farrell, alluding to Hansen's choice to sport different footwear.

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

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

"Therefore he's that kind of player, he trains well, he's has a great approach to understand his preparation and thus that's why he slotted straight back in and he was capable to be himself due to that."

Hansen's performance also earned commendation from the opposing manager, who stated he was the "standout opposition player" on the evening.

"In my view he was outstanding, his knowledge showed to the front," commented the former international manager.

"Regrettably, Mack was probably the best Australian performer on the field. He's got a excellent ability and he's such a strong competitor."

When asked about what makes Hansen a strong fit at the number 15 position, Farrell added: "Showing up in the center of the field is something that he demonstrates from the wing anyway, but I imagine he's better in position for that frequently.

"His high ball work was brilliant, wasn't it? I believed we persisted of doing the correct approach and that was putting the possession again on them to gain field position.

"The reason that was the correct strategy to do is because it's the likes of Hansen who was getting the possessions returned, and other players, so [it's] pretty satisfying."

Outside Hansen, there were multiple positives for Farrell.

Sam Prendergast was outstanding on his comeback to the number 10 position, the set piece and throw-in operated smoothly and different teammate did not look uncomfortable in his debut start in the forwards.

But possibly most satisfying for Farrell was the team framing the match with two impressive periods.

Hansen's initial two scores occurred in the opening eleven minutes while other players scored in the final stages after the other team had scored, guaranteeing the Irish team concluded on a high.

"I thought we truly performed freely and approached the match straight from the word go," said Farrell.

"How we handled various elements throughout the match, especially the opposition coming back just before the break and reorganizing ourselves and producing a display like we did in the second half, I believed as far as territory and being across the majority of our strategy in that later period was truly pleasing."

The strength of the Springboks are next up for Ireland, in what could be viewed as an informal conclusion to the previous season's tied multiple match series on opposition soil.

The coach's side will need to reach another standard to beat the back-to-back world champions, but the recent victory of the Wallabies was a significant step in the right direction after an disappointing start to their autumn schedule.