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Following last week's underwhelming showing against Japan, the head coach challenged his Irish team to step up their performance.

Ireland listened immediately.

The Irish side had faded late against New Zealand and required most of the match to get going versus their Asian opponents.

Nevertheless, facing Australia, they began powerfully, with Mack Hansen excelling brightest during a 46-19 triumph that represented the team's finest performance this year.

In his first test match start at the number 15 position, Hansen scored a hat-trick, competed excellently for high balls and performed outstandingly against the nation of his birth.

"Look, I've had a pretty difficult period with fitness issues honestly," Hansen stated.

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

"Whenever I have to represent for the national team it's a honor, if you fail to deliver a performance you may not receive that privilege again.

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

Coach declared: 'Excellent athletes don't need justifications'

After twenty-eight appearances on the wing, Hansen was entrusted the full-back role for the first time with several players injured.

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

The experienced player had been in excellent form before physical issues ended his aspiration of making the Test squad.

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

Farrell had suggested that the player was particularly motivated and these turned out to be not empty words as the ex- provincial player gave his manager a positive team headache for upcoming matches.

"So my initial reaction were, 'You better play excellently in those different coloured boots!'," commented Farrell, alluding to the player's choice to sport different boots.

"Actually I believed that was appropriate but apparently Mack just made that personally anyway. So he's drawn notice to himself before he's even started.

"I told to him before the game, 'Excellent players don't need excuses, they can perform and just be themselves, you can win the man of the match if you want,' and he responded, 'Yes, I agree.'

"Therefore he's that type of performer, he prepares thoroughly, he's has a great attitude to understand his preparation and so that's why he slotted right into the team and he was able to be himself because of that."

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

"I thought he was super, his experience showed to the front," said the former international manager.

"Unfortunately, Hansen was probably the best Australian player on the pitch. He's got a excellent ability and he's such a good contender."

When asked about what makes the player a strong fit at the number 15 position, Farrell continued: "Showing up in the middle of the field is something that he does from the flank anyway, but I suppose he's better in place for that more often.

"His aerial play was excellent, wasn't it? I thought we persisted of executing the right thing and that was placing the possession again on them to gain field position.

"Why that was the right strategy to do is since it's the likes of Hansen who was securing the balls returned, and additional teammates, so [it's] pretty pleasing."

Beyond the star performer, there were numerous positives for Farrell.

Another player was outstanding on his comeback to the fly-half position, the set piece and line-out functioned effectively and another teammate did not appear out of place in his debut start in the forwards.

But perhaps most pleasing for Farrell was the team framing the game with two impressive periods.

Hansen's first two scores occurred in the opening 11 moments while additional teammates scored in the closing stages after the other team had scored, guaranteeing the Irish team concluded on a high.

"In my opinion we truly performed freely and approached the match right from the beginning," stated Farrell.

"The way we handled various aspects throughout the game, particularly them responding just before the break and reorganizing ourselves and giving a performance like we did in the second half, I thought as far as territory and being familiar with the majority of our strategy 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 conclusion to the previous season's tied two-Test series on rival soil.

Farrell's team will require to attain another level to defeat the back-to-back world champions, but the recent defeat of the Australian team was a important step in the right direction after an disappointing start to their fall schedule.