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

The team responded right away.

The Irish side had struggled late against New Zealand and required most of the match to find their rhythm versus their Asian opponents.

However, against the Wallabies, they started strongly, with the talented back shining most prominently during a comprehensive triumph that marked the team's best performance of the season.

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

"Look, I've had a pretty challenging period with injuries really," the athlete stated.

"I longed for being in this team, I understand there's considerable talk about me not necessarily being born here and I wasn't raised here, but I adore this team and this seems like family.

"Any time I have to represent for the national team it's a privilege, if you fail to deliver a good showing you might not receive that privilege again.

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

Coach stated: 'Excellent players require no excuses'

Following twenty-eight caps on the flank, the player was given the full-back position for the initial time with several teammates injured.

For him, it was essentially a case of continuing where he finished during the summer.

The experienced player had been in superb form before injury disrupted his dream of joining the Test squad.

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

The coach had indicated that the player was especially motivated and these proved not empty statements as the ex- provincial player gave his coach a welcome team dilemma for future games.

"Well my initial reaction were, 'You need to play excellently in those two colored shoes!'," commented Farrell, alluding to Hansen's choice to sport different boots.

"In fact I believed that was appropriate but it seems Mack just did that himself anyway. So he's drawn attention to himself before he's even started.

"I told to him before the match, 'Excellent players require no excuses, they can get on with it and just be themselves, you can get the man of the match if you choose,' and he went, 'Yes, I concur.'

"So he's that type of performer, he trains thoroughly, he's has a excellent attitude to get across his detail and so that's why he slotted straight into the team and he was capable to be himself due to that."

Hansen's performance also received praise from the opposing manager, who remarked he was the "exceptional Australian player" on the night.

"I thought he was outstanding, his knowledge showed to the fore," commented the ex- international coach.

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

Pressed about what makes Hansen a strong fit at full-back, Farrell continued: "Appearing in the middle of the field is a trait that he does from the wing regardless, but I suppose he's better in place for that frequently.

"The player's aerial play was excellent, wasn't it? I believed we persisted of doing the right approach and that was putting the ball again on them to secure territory.

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

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

Sam Prendergast was excellent on his return to the fly-half jersey, the set piece and line-out operated effectively and different teammate did not look uncomfortable in his first appearance in the forwards.

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

The player's first couple of scores occurred in the opening eleven minutes while other teammates scored in the final exchanges after the opposition had scored, ensuring the Irish side finished on a high.

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

"How we handled numerous aspects throughout the match, especially the opposition coming back just before the break and reorganizing ourselves and producing a performance like we did in the second half, I believed as far as field position and being across the majority of our game in that second half was truly pleasing."

The might of the Springboks are awaiting for Ireland, in what could be considered as an unofficial decider to the previous season's drawn multiple match contest on opposition soil.

Farrell's side will require to reach another standard to defeat the consecutive world champions, but Saturday's defeat of the Australian team was a significant advancement in the right path after an uninspiring beginning to their fall campaign.