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Following last week's disappointing performance against Japan, the head coach challenged his Ireland team to step up their game.

Ireland listened right away.

The Irish side had faded late against the All Blacks and required considerable time to find their rhythm versus Japan.

Nevertheless, against the Wallabies, they began powerfully, with Mack Hansen excelling most prominently during a 46-19 triumph that marked the team's finest performance of the season.

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

"You know, I've had a fairly difficult run with fitness issues honestly," Hansen stated.

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

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

"My entire approach this week was to take the field and perform what I can do."

Coach stated: 'Excellent athletes require no excuses'

Following 28 appearances on the flank, the player was given the number 15 role for the initial time with multiple players injured.

In his case, it was simply a matter of picking up where he left off during the warmer months.

The experienced player had been in excellent condition before injury ended his dream of joining the Test squad.

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

Farrell had indicated that the player was particularly motivated and these proved not hollow words as the ex- provincial player gave his coach a positive team headache for future games.

"So my initial reaction were, 'You need to play well in those different colored shoes!'," commented the coach, referring to the player's decision to sport mismatched footwear.

"In fact I believed that was fitting but apparently Mack just did that himself regardless. So he's attracted attention to himself before he's even begun.

"I told to him before the game, 'Excellent athletes don't need justifications, 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 kind of performer, he trains well, he's got a excellent attitude to understand his preparation and thus that's why he slotted straight back in and he was able to perform naturally due to that."

Hansen's efforts also received commendation from the opposing manager, who stated he was the "standout opposition player" on the evening.

"I thought he was outstanding, his knowledge showed to the fore," said the former international manager.

"Regrettably, Mack was probably the standout opposition player on the pitch. He's has a excellent skillset and he's such a strong contender."

When asked about what enables the player a good option at full-back, the coach added: "Appearing in the center of the field is something that he demonstrates from the wing anyway, but I imagine he's better in position for that more often.

"His aerial work was excellent, wasn't it? I thought we persisted of doing the correct approach and that was placing the possession again on them to secure territory.

"Why that was the right thing to do is because it's the likes of Hansen who was getting the possessions back, and additional players, so [it's] pretty pleasing."

Beyond Hansen, there were multiple positives for Farrell.

Another player was outstanding on his comeback to the number 10 jersey, the set piece and line-out functioned smoothly and different teammate did not look out of place in his first start in the forwards.

But perhaps most pleasing for Farrell was Ireland framing the game with two strong spells.

The player's first two scores occurred in the opening 11 minutes while other players registered in the final exchanges after the opposition had crossed, ensuring the Irish side finished on a positive note.

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

"The way we handled numerous aspects during the match, particularly the opposition coming back just before the break and reorganizing ourselves and producing a display like we achieved in the later stages, I thought as far as field position and being familiar with the majority of our strategy in that later period was truly satisfying."

The might of South Africa are awaiting for Ireland, in what could be viewed as an unofficial decider to the previous season's drawn multiple match series on opposition territory.

The coach's side will need to reach another standard to defeat the back-to-back world champions, but Saturday's victory of the Australian team was a important advancement in the right path after an disappointing start to their autumn campaign.