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Following last week's underwhelming performance against Japan, Andy Farrell told his Irish squad to step up their performance.

The team responded right away.

The Irish side had faded late against New Zealand and taken considerable time to find their rhythm versus Japan.

However, against Australia, they started strongly, with the talented back shining brightest during a comprehensive triumph that represented the team's finest performance of the season.

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.

"You know, I've experienced a fairly challenging period with fitness issues really," the athlete commented.

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

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

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

Coach stated: 'Good athletes require no excuses'

After twenty-eight caps on the flank, Hansen was given the full-back role for the initial time with several teammates injured.

For him, it was simply a case of picking up where he finished during the summer.

The experienced player had been in superb condition before physical issues disrupted his aspiration of joining the international team.

After returned last month, he developed a lower body problem that made him unavailable for earlier matches.

Farrell had suggested that the player was particularly determined and these turned out to be not hollow statements as the ex- provincial player gave his coach a welcome selection headache for future games.

"So my initial reaction were, 'You better perform excellently in those different coloured boots!'," commented the coach, referring to Hansen's decision to wear mismatched footwear.

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

"I told to him before the match, 'Good athletes 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, 'Yes, I concur.'

"So he's that kind of player, he prepares well, he's has a excellent approach to get across his preparation and so that's why he fitted straight back in and he was able to be himself due to that."

Hansen's efforts also earned praise from the opposing manager, who stated he was the "exceptional opposition performer" on the evening.

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

"Unfortunately, Mack was probably the standout Australian performer on the pitch. He's got a great ability and he's such a strong competitor."

When asked about what enables Hansen a strong fit at full-back, the coach continued: "Showing up in the middle of the field is a trait that he does from the wing anyway, but I suppose he's more in place for that more often.

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

"Why that was the correct thing to do is because it's the likes of Mackie who was getting the possessions returned, and other players, so [it's] pretty satisfying."

Outside the star performer, there were multiple encouraging aspects for the coach.

Sam Prendergast was outstanding on his return to the fly-half jersey, the set piece and line-out operated smoothly and different player did not look uncomfortable in his debut start in the forwards.

But possibly more satisfying for the manager was the team bookending the match with two strong spells.

Hansen's initial couple of tries occurred in the first 11 moments while additional players scored in the final exchanges after the opposition had crossed, ensuring the home team concluded on a positive note.

"In my opinion we really let ourselves go and approached the match straight from the beginning," said Farrell.

"How we managed various elements during the match, particularly the opposition responding just before half-time and regathering ourselves and producing a performance like we did in the later stages, I believed as far as field position and being familiar with the majority of our strategy in that later period was really satisfying."

The strength of South Africa are awaiting for Ireland, 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 attain a higher level to defeat the back-to-back title holders, but the recent victory of the Australian team was a important advancement in the correct direction after an uninspiring start to their autumn schedule.