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After last week's underwhelming performance against Japan, Andy Farrell challenged his Irish team to improve their performance.

Ireland listened immediately.

The Irish side had struggled late against the All Blacks and taken most of the match to find their rhythm versus Japan.

However, against Australia, they began strongly, with Mack Hansen excelling most prominently during a 46-19 triumph that represented Ireland's best display of the season.

Making his first test match start at the number 15 position, Hansen scored a hat-trick, competed excellently for aerial challenges and performed exceptionally against the nation of his birth.

"Look, I've experienced a fairly difficult run with fitness issues really," the athlete commented.

"I missed being in this squad, I know there's considerable talk about me not necessarily being born here and I wasn't raised here, but I adore this team and this feels like home.

"Any time I have to play for the national team it's a honor, if you fail to deliver a performance you might not get that privilege again.

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

Manager stated: 'Excellent athletes require no excuses'

After 28 caps on the flank, the player was given the full-back role for the initial time with multiple teammates unavailable.

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

The 28-year-old had been in superb condition before physical issues disrupted his aspiration of making the Test squad.

Having returned recently, he suffered a foot problem that ruled him out for previous matches.

The coach had suggested that Hansen was particularly determined and these turned out to be not hollow words as the former club player gave his manager a positive selection dilemma for upcoming matches.

"So my first thoughts were, 'You better play excellently in those different colored shoes!'," commented the coach, alluding to the player's choice to sport different boots.

"Actually I believed that was fitting but it seems Mack just did that personally anyway. So he's attracted attention to himself before he's even begun.

"I told to him before the game, 'Good players require no excuses, they can perform and just play naturally, you can get the player of the game if you choose,' and he went, 'Yes, I concur.'

"So he's that kind of player, he prepares thoroughly, he's got a great approach to understand his detail and so that's why he fitted right back in and he was capable to be himself due to that."

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

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

"Regrettably, Mack was probably the standout Australian performer on the pitch. He's has a great skillset and he's such a strong contender."

Pressed about what makes the player a good fit at full-back, the coach added: "Showing up in the middle of the field is something that he does from the flank regardless, but I suppose he's more in position for that more often.

"His high ball play was excellent, don't you think? I thought we persisted of executing the correct approach and that was placing the possession again on them to secure territory.

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

Beyond the star performer, there were numerous encouraging aspects for Farrell.

Sam Prendergast was outstanding on his comeback to the number 10 position, the set piece and line-out functioned smoothly and different teammate did not appear uncomfortable in his first start in the forwards.

But possibly more satisfying for Farrell was Ireland bookending the game with multiple strong spells.

The player's initial couple of scores came in the first eleven minutes while additional players scored in the closing exchanges after the other team had crossed, guaranteeing the Irish team finished on a high.

"In my opinion we truly let ourselves go and approached the game straight from the beginning," stated Farrell.

"The way we managed numerous elements during the match, especially them responding just before the break and regathering ourselves and producing a display like we did in the second half, I thought as far as field position and being across most of our strategy in that later period was really pleasing."

The strength of South Africa are next up for Ireland, in what could be considered as an unofficial conclusion to the previous season's tied multiple match series on rival territory.

Farrell's side will require to attain another standard to beat the back-to-back world champions, but Saturday's defeat of the Wallabies was a significant advancement in the right path after an disappointing start to their fall schedule.