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After last week's underwhelming performance against the Japanese team, Andy Farrell told his Irish team to improve their performance.

The team responded immediately.

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

However, facing the Wallabies, they started powerfully, with the talented back excelling most prominently during a comprehensive victory that represented the team's finest performance of the season.

In his first test match appearance at full-back, Hansen registered a three tries, competed brilliantly for high balls and performed exceptionally against the nation of his origin.

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

"I missed being in this team, I understand there's much talk about me not necessarily being born here and I wasn't raised here, but I adore this team and this feels like home.

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

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

Coach stated: 'Excellent players require no justifications'

Following twenty-eight appearances on the flank, Hansen was given the full-back position for the initial time with multiple players unavailable.

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

The experienced player had been in excellent form before injury ended his dream of making the international team.

Having returned last month, he suffered a foot problem that made him unavailable for previous matches.

The coach had indicated that the player was particularly motivated and these turned out to be not empty words as the ex- club player gave his manager a welcome selection dilemma for upcoming games.

"Well my initial thoughts were, 'You need to play well in those different coloured boots!'," said Farrell, alluding to Hansen's choice to sport mismatched boots.

"In fact I thought that was appropriate but apparently Hansen just made that personally anyway. So he's drawn notice to himself before he's even started.

"I said to him before the game, 'Good players don't need justifications, they can get on with it and just be themselves, you can win the man of the match if you want,' and he went, 'Yeah, I concur.'

"So he's that type of player, he trains well, he's has a great approach 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."

The player's performance also earned praise from the opposing manager, who remarked he was the "exceptional opposition performer" on the night.

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

"Unfortunately, Mack was probably the best Australian player on the field. He's has a great skillset and he's such a strong competitor."

When asked about what makes Hansen a good fit at full-back, Farrell continued: "Showing up in the center of the field is a trait that he demonstrates from the flank regardless, but I suppose he's more in position for that more often.

"His high ball work was brilliant, wasn't it? I thought we didn't get bored of doing the right approach and that was putting the ball back on them to gain territory.

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

Beyond Hansen, there were multiple positives for the coach.

Another player was excellent on his return to the fly-half position, the set piece and line-out operated effectively and another player did not appear out of place in his debut appearance in the forwards.

But possibly most pleasing for the manager was Ireland framing the match with two impressive spells.

Hansen's initial couple of tries came in the opening 11 minutes while additional players registered in the closing stages after the other team had scored, ensuring the Irish side concluded on a positive note.

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

"The way we managed numerous elements throughout the game, particularly the opposition responding just before the break and reorganizing ourselves and producing a performance like we did in the later stages, I believed as far as field position and being across most of our game in that later period was really pleasing."

The might of South Africa are awaiting for the team, in what could be viewed as an informal decider to the previous season's drawn two-Test series on rival soil.

Farrell's team will require to reach a higher level to defeat the consecutive world champions, but Saturday's victory of the Wallabies was a important step in the right path after an disappointing beginning to their fall campaign.