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

The team listened immediately.

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

Nevertheless, against the Wallabies, they started strongly, with Mack Hansen shining most prominently during a comprehensive triumph that represented the team's finest display this year.

Making his debut test match appearance at full-back, the player scored a three tries, contested brilliantly for aerial challenges and played outstandingly against the country of his origin.

"You know, I've experienced a pretty difficult run with fitness issues really," the athlete stated.

"I missed being in this team, I understand there's considerable talk about me not exactly being born here and I wasn't raised here, but I love this group and this feels like home.

"Whenever I have to play for Ireland it's a honor, if you fail to deliver a performance you might not receive that opportunity again.

"My entire focus this week was to take the field and do what I could do."

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

Following 28 caps on the wing, Hansen was entrusted the full-back position for the initial time with several teammates unavailable.

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

The 28-year-old had been in superb form before physical issues disrupted his aspiration of making the international squad.

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

The coach had suggested that Hansen was especially motivated and these turned out to be not hollow statements as the ex- club player gave his coach a positive team dilemma for future games.

"So my initial reaction were, 'You need to play well in those different coloured shoes!'," commented Farrell, referring to Hansen's decision to sport mismatched boots.

"Actually I believed that was fitting but it seems Hansen just made that himself anyway. So he's drawn attention to himself before he's even started.

"I said to him before the game, 'Good players require no excuses, they can get on with it and just play naturally, you can get the man of the match if you choose,' and he went, 'Yeah, I agree.'

"So he's that kind of player, he prepares well, he's got a excellent approach to understand his detail and thus that's why he slotted right back in and he was able to be himself due to that."

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

"I thought he was super, his experience was evident to the front," commented the former national manager.

"Regrettably, Hansen was probably the standout opposition performer on the field. He's has a great skillset and he's such a good competitor."

When asked about what enables the player a good option at the number 15 position, the coach added: "Appearing in the center of the pitch is a trait that he does from the flank anyway, but I suppose he's better in place for that more often.

"The player's high ball work was excellent, wasn't it? I thought we didn't get bored of doing the right approach and that was putting the possession back on them to secure territory.

"Why that was the correct strategy to do is because it's the players of Hansen who was securing the possessions back, and additional players, so [it's] pretty satisfying."

Outside Hansen, there were multiple positives for the coach.

Another player was outstanding on his comeback to the fly-half position, the set piece and line-out functioned smoothly and another player did not look uncomfortable in his first start in the front row.

But perhaps more satisfying for the manager was the team bookending the match with multiple impressive periods.

The player's initial couple of tries occurred in the first eleven moments while additional players scored in the closing exchanges after the other team had crossed, guaranteeing the Irish team finished on a high.

"In my opinion we really performed freely and attacked the game straight from the beginning," stated Farrell.

"How we managed numerous elements throughout the match, especially them responding just before half-time and reorganizing ourselves and giving a performance like we achieved in the second half, I believed as far as territory and being familiar with most of our game in that second half was really pleasing."

The strength of South Africa are next up for Ireland, in what could be considered as an unofficial decider to last year's drawn two-Test series on opposition territory.

The coach's team will need to attain a higher level to defeat the back-to-back title holders, but Saturday's defeat of the Australian team was a significant step in the right direction after an uninspiring start to their autumn schedule.