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After last week's disappointing showing against Japan, Andy Farrell challenged his Ireland team to improve their game.

Ireland responded immediately.

Ireland had struggled late against New Zealand and taken considerable time to find their rhythm versus their Asian opponents.

However, facing Australia, they began powerfully, with the talented back excelling most prominently during a comprehensive victory that represented Ireland's best performance this year.

Making his debut international appearance at full-back, Hansen scored a three tries, contested excellently for aerial challenges and played outstandingly against the nation of his birth.

"Look, I've experienced a pretty difficult period with fitness issues really," Hansen commented.

"I longed for being in this team, I know there's much talk about me not necessarily being raised 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 Ireland it's a privilege, if you don't put in a performance you may not get that opportunity again.

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

Manager declared: 'Good players don't need justifications'

Following 28 appearances on the flank, the player was given the number 15 role for the initial time with multiple teammates injured.

For him, it was simply a matter of continuing where he finished during the summer.

The experienced player had been in superb form before injury ended his aspiration of making the Test team.

Having come back recently, he developed a lower body injury that made him unavailable for previous fixtures.

Farrell had suggested that Hansen was particularly motivated and these proved not empty words as the ex- provincial player gave his coach a welcome team headache for future matches.

"Well my initial thoughts were, 'You better perform well in those different colored boots!'," said the coach, alluding to the player's decision to sport mismatched boots.

"In fact I thought that was fitting but it seems Mack just made that himself anyway. So he's attracted notice to himself before he's even started.

"I said to him before the match, 'Excellent players require no justifications, they can perform and just play naturally, you can win the man of the match if you want,' and he responded, 'Yeah, I concur.'

"Therefore he's that kind of performer, he trains thoroughly, he's got a great attitude to understand his preparation and thus that's why he fitted right into the team and he was able to be himself due to that."

The player's efforts also earned praise from the rival manager, who remarked he was the "exceptional Australian performer" on the evening.

"I thought he was super, his knowledge showed to the fore," commented the ex- national manager.

"Regrettably, Hansen was likely the standout Australian performer on the pitch. He's got a great skillset and he's such a good contender."

Pressed about what enables the player a good fit at full-back, the coach continued: "Showing up in the center of the field is something that he demonstrates from the wing regardless, but I suppose he's more in position for that frequently.

"His high ball play was brilliant, don't you think? I thought we persisted of doing the correct approach and that was putting the ball back on them to secure field position.

"Why that was the right thing to do is since it's the likes of Hansen who was securing the balls returned, and other teammates, so [it's] quite pleasing."

Outside Hansen, there were multiple positives for Farrell.

Sam Prendergast was outstanding on his comeback to the fly-half position, the set piece and throw-in operated effectively and another player did not look out of place in his debut start in the forwards.

But possibly most satisfying for Farrell was Ireland bookending the match with multiple strong spells.

The player's initial two scores occurred in the first eleven minutes while other players registered in the closing stages after the opposition had crossed, ensuring the Irish side concluded on a high.

"I thought we really performed freely and approached the game right from the word go," stated the coach.

"The way we managed various aspects throughout the match, especially them coming back just before half-time and reorganizing ourselves and giving a display like we achieved in the later stages, I believed as far as field position and being familiar with the majority of our strategy in that second half was really satisfying."

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

The coach's side will require to reach a higher standard to beat the back-to-back title holders, but Saturday's victory of the Australian team was a significant step in the right direction after an disappointing start to their autumn schedule.