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After their previous underwhelming performance against Japan, the head coach told his Irish squad to improve their game.

The team responded right away.

Ireland had struggled in the final stages against New Zealand and taken most of the match to get going versus Japan.

However, against Australia, they started strongly, with the talented back excelling most prominently during a comprehensive triumph that marked the team's finest display this year.

Making his debut international appearance at full-back, the player scored a hat-trick, contested brilliantly for high balls and played exceptionally against the country of his birth.

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

"I longed for being in this squad, I understand there's much discussion about me not necessarily being raised here and I wasn't raised here, but I love this group and this seems like home.

"Any time I have to represent for Ireland it's a privilege, if you don't put in a performance you may not get that privilege again.

"My whole focus this week was to take the field and perform what I could do."

Manager stated: 'Good players don't need justifications'

After twenty-eight caps on the flank, the player was entrusted the number 15 position for the first time with multiple players injured.

In his case, it was simply a case of continuing where he finished during the summer.

The experienced player had been in superb form before injury ended his aspiration of joining the Test squad.

Having returned last month, he developed a lower body injury that made him unavailable for previous matches.

Farrell had suggested that the player was especially determined and these turned out to be not hollow statements as the former club player gave his manager a positive team headache for future games.

"Well my initial thoughts were, 'You need to perform well in those different coloured boots!'," said the coach, alluding to the player's choice to sport different boots.

"Actually I thought that was fitting 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 athletes don't need excuses, they can get on with it 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 kind of performer, he prepares well, he's got a great 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."

The player's efforts also received praise from the opposing manager, who remarked he was the "standout opposition player" on the evening.

"I thought he was outstanding, his experience was evident to the fore," said the former national coach.

"Regrettably, Hansen was likely the standout opposition performer on the field. He's got a excellent skillset and he's such a good competitor."

When asked about what makes the player a good fit at full-back, Farrell continued: "Appearing in the middle of the field is a trait that he does from the flank regardless, but I imagine he's more in position for that more often.

"The player's high ball play was excellent, wasn't it? I thought we didn't get bored of doing the correct approach and that was placing the ball back on them to secure territory.

"The reason that was the correct strategy to do is since it's the likes of Mackie who was securing the balls returned, and additional teammates, so [it's] quite satisfying."

Outside Hansen, there were numerous encouraging aspects for the coach.

Sam Prendergast was outstanding on his return to the number 10 jersey, the scrum and line-out functioned smoothly and another teammate did not appear out of place in his first appearance in the forwards.

But perhaps most pleasing for the manager was the team framing the match with two impressive periods.

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

"I thought we truly let ourselves go and approached the game right from the beginning," stated Farrell.

"The way we handled various aspects throughout 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 believed as far as territory and being familiar with the majority of our strategy in that later period was truly pleasing."

The might of South Africa are next up for the team, in what might be viewed as an informal decider to last year's tied multiple match contest on rival soil.

Farrell's side will require to attain a higher level to beat the back-to-back title holders, but Saturday's defeat of the Wallabies was a significant step in the correct direction after an disappointing beginning to their autumn campaign.