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After their previous underwhelming performance against the Japanese team, the head coach challenged his Irish squad to improve their performance.

Ireland responded right away.

The Irish side had struggled late against New Zealand and required most of the match to get going versus Japan.

However, facing Australia, they began powerfully, with Mack Hansen shining most prominently during a 46-19 victory that represented the team's finest performance this year.

Making his debut international start at the number 15 position, Hansen scored a hat-trick, competed excellently for aerial challenges and played exceptionally against the nation of his birth.

"Look, I've had a fairly difficult run with fitness issues honestly," Hansen commented.

"I longed for being in this team, I understand there's considerable discussion about me not exactly being raised here and I didn't grow up here, but I love this group and this feels like family.

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

"My whole focus this period was to take the field and do what I can do."

Manager declared: 'Good players require no justifications'

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

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

The experienced player had been in excellent condition before injury disrupted his aspiration of joining the international team.

After come back last month, he suffered a lower body problem that made him unavailable for earlier fixtures.

The coach had indicated that Hansen was particularly determined and these proved not empty statements as the ex- provincial player gave his manager a welcome team headache for upcoming games.

"So my first thoughts were, 'You need to play excellently in those two colored boots!'," said the coach, alluding to the player's decision to wear different footwear.

"Actually I thought that was fitting but it seems Mack just made that himself anyway. So he's attracted notice to himself before he's even begun.

"I told to him before the game, 'Good players require no justifications, they can get on with it and just play naturally, you can win the player of the game if you choose,' and he responded, 'Yes, I concur.'

"Therefore he's that type of player, he trains thoroughly, he's got a excellent attitude to understand his detail and so that's why he fitted straight into the team and he was capable to perform naturally because of that."

Hansen's performance also earned commendation from the rival manager, who remarked he was the "standout opposition performer" on the night.

"In my view he was super, his experience showed to the front," said the ex- national coach.

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

Pressed about what enables Hansen a good fit at full-back, the coach continued: "Showing up in the center of the pitch is a trait that he does from the flank anyway, but I suppose he's more in position for that more often.

"The player's aerial play was excellent, wasn't it? I thought we persisted of executing the right thing and that was putting the ball again on them to gain field position.

"Why that was the correct thing to do is since it's the players of Mackie who was securing the balls back, and additional players, so [it's] pretty pleasing."

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

Another player was excellent on his comeback to the fly-half position, the scrum and line-out functioned smoothly and different player did not appear uncomfortable in his debut appearance in the front row.

But possibly more satisfying for the manager was Ireland bookending the match with two impressive periods.

Hansen's initial couple of scores came in the first 11 minutes while other players registered in the final exchanges after the other team had scored, ensuring the home team finished on a high.

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

"The way we handled various aspects during the match, especially the opposition coming back just before the break and reorganizing ourselves and giving a display like we achieved in the second half, I thought as far as field position and being familiar with the majority of our strategy in that second half was truly satisfying."

The strength of South Africa are awaiting for the team, in what could be viewed as an unofficial decider to the previous season's tied multiple match contest on rival soil.

Farrell's team will need to attain a higher level to defeat the consecutive title holders, but Saturday's defeat of the Australian team was a important advancement in the correct direction after an uninspiring start to their fall campaign.