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After last week's disappointing showing against the Japanese team, the head coach challenged his Irish team to step up their performance.

The team listened right away.

Ireland had faded in the final stages against the All Blacks and required most of the match to find their rhythm versus their Asian opponents.

However, facing the Wallabies, they began powerfully, with Mack Hansen excelling most prominently during a 46-19 triumph that represented Ireland's best display of the season.

In his debut test match start at the number 15 position, the player scored a three tries, competed brilliantly for high balls and performed exceptionally against the nation of his origin.

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

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

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

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

Coach declared: 'Excellent players require no excuses'

After 28 caps on the wing, Hansen was entrusted the number 15 role for the initial time with multiple players injured.

In his case, it was essentially a case of continuing where he left off during the summer.

The experienced player had been in excellent condition before injury disrupted his dream of making the Test team.

After returned recently, he developed a lower body injury that ruled him out for previous matches.

Farrell had suggested that Hansen was particularly determined and these turned out to be not hollow statements as the former provincial player gave his manager a positive selection headache for future matches.

"Well my initial reaction were, 'You better play excellently in those two colored boots!'," commented the coach, alluding to Hansen's decision to sport mismatched footwear.

"In fact I believed that was fitting but it seems Mack just did that personally regardless. So he's drawn notice to himself before he's even begun.

"I said to him before the game, 'Good athletes require no excuses, they can get on with it and just be themselves, you can win the player of the game if you want,' and he went, 'Yeah, I agree.'

"Therefore he's that kind of performer, he trains thoroughly, he's got a great approach to get across his detail and thus that's why he fitted right back in and he was able to perform naturally because of that."

Hansen's efforts also received praise from the rival manager, who stated he was the "exceptional Australian performer" on the night.

"I thought he was super, his knowledge was evident to the front," commented the ex- international manager.

"Unfortunately, Mack was likely the standout Australian performer on the pitch. He's has a great skillset and he's such a good competitor."

When asked about what makes Hansen a strong option at the number 15 position, the coach added: "Showing up in the middle of the field is a trait that he does from the wing anyway, but I suppose he's better in place for that frequently.

"His high ball work was excellent, don't you think? I believed we didn't get bored of executing the correct thing and that was placing the ball back on them to gain territory.

"The reason that was the right strategy to do is since it's the players of Mackie who was securing the balls returned, and additional players, so [it's] pretty pleasing."

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

Sam Prendergast was excellent on his return to the number 10 position, the scrum and throw-in operated smoothly and another player did not look uncomfortable in his debut appearance in the front row.

But perhaps more satisfying for the manager was Ireland bookending the game with two strong spells.

The player's first couple of tries occurred in the opening 11 moments while additional players registered in the closing exchanges after the opposition had crossed, ensuring the home team finished on a positive note.

"In my opinion we truly performed freely and attacked the game straight from the word go," said Farrell.

"How we handled various elements throughout the match, especially the opposition coming back just before the break and reorganizing ourselves and producing a display like we achieved in the later stages, I believed as far as field position and being across the majority of our game in that second half was really satisfying."

The might of South Africa are awaiting for the team, in what could be considered as an unofficial decider to last year's tied multiple match series on opposition territory.

Farrell's team will require to reach a higher standard to defeat the consecutive title holders, but the recent defeat of the Australian team was a important advancement in the right direction after an uninspiring start to their fall schedule.