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After their previous disappointing showing against the Japanese team, Andy Farrell told his Irish team to improve their performance.

The team listened right away.

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

However, against the Wallabies, they began powerfully, with the talented back shining brightest during a 46-19 victory that represented the team's best display of the season.

Making his debut international start at full-back, the player scored a three tries, competed excellently for aerial challenges and played exceptionally against the nation of his origin.

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

"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 love this team and this seems like home.

"Any time I have to represent for Ireland it's a privilege, if you fail to deliver a performance you may not get that opportunity again.

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

Coach stated: 'Good athletes require no excuses'

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

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

The experienced player had been in excellent form before physical issues ended his aspiration of making the Test team.

Having returned recently, he suffered a foot problem that made him unavailable for earlier fixtures.

Farrell had indicated that Hansen was especially motivated and these turned out to be not hollow statements as the ex- provincial player gave his manager a welcome selection dilemma for future games.

"So my first reaction were, 'You need to play well in those different colored boots!'," commented Farrell, alluding to the player's choice to sport mismatched footwear.

"In fact I believed that was appropriate but it seems Hansen just made that personally regardless. So he's attracted attention to himself before he's even begun.

"I said to him before the match, 'Excellent athletes require no justifications, they can get on with it and just play naturally, you can win the player of the game if you want,' and he responded, 'Yeah, I agree.'

"So he's that type of player, he prepares well, he's got a excellent attitude to get across his detail and thus that's why he fitted right into the team and he was capable to perform naturally due to that."

Hansen's performance also earned praise from the opposing coach, who stated he was the "exceptional opposition player" on the night.

"In my view he was super, his knowledge was evident to the front," commented the ex- international manager.

"Unfortunately, Hansen was likely the standout Australian player on the pitch. He's got a excellent skillset and he's such a good competitor."

Pressed about what enables Hansen a good option at full-back, Farrell added: "Appearing in the center of the pitch is something that he does from the wing anyway, but I suppose he's better in position for that more often.

"The player's aerial play was brilliant, don't you think? I thought we didn't get bored of doing the right approach and that was placing the ball again on them to gain field position.

"The reason that was the correct thing to do is because it's the players of Mackie who was securing the balls back, and other players, so [it's] quite pleasing."

Outside the star performer, there were numerous positives for the coach.

Another player was outstanding on his comeback to the number 10 jersey, the scrum and line-out functioned effectively and another player did not look uncomfortable in his debut start in the front row.

But perhaps more satisfying for the manager was the team framing the match with two strong periods.

The player's initial couple of tries came in the opening eleven moments while additional players registered in the closing stages after the other team had scored, guaranteeing the Irish side finished on a positive note.

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

"How we handled numerous aspects throughout the game, especially the opposition responding just before the break and regathering ourselves and producing a display like we achieved in the later stages, I believed as far as territory and being familiar with the majority of our strategy in that later period was really satisfying."

The might of the Springboks are next up for the team, in what might be viewed as an unofficial conclusion to last year's drawn multiple match series on opposition territory.

The coach's side will require to reach another level to defeat the consecutive world champions, but Saturday's defeat of the Wallabies was a important step in the correct path after an uninspiring beginning to their autumn campaign.