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After their previous disappointing showing against Japan, the head coach challenged his Irish squad to step up their game.

The team listened right away.

The Irish side had faded in the final stages against New Zealand and required most of the match to find their rhythm versus their Asian opponents.

However, facing the Wallabies, they started powerfully, with the talented back shining brightest during a comprehensive triumph that represented Ireland's best display this year.

Making his first international start at the number 15 position, Hansen scored a three tries, competed excellently for high balls and performed outstandingly against the country of his birth.

"Look, I've had a fairly difficult period with injuries really," the athlete stated.

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

"Any time I have to represent for the national team it's a privilege, if you don't put in a good showing you might not get that privilege again.

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

Coach stated: 'Excellent players don't need justifications'

After twenty-eight appearances on the flank, Hansen was given the full-back position for the first time with multiple teammates injured.

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

The experienced player had been in superb form before injury ended his dream of making the international squad.

After come back recently, he suffered a lower body problem that ruled him out for previous fixtures.

Farrell had suggested that Hansen was particularly motivated and these turned out to be not empty statements as the ex- provincial player gave his coach a welcome team headache for upcoming games.

"Well my initial thoughts were, 'You better perform excellently in those different coloured shoes!'," commented the coach, referring to the player's choice to wear mismatched boots.

"Actually I believed that was fitting but apparently Hansen just made that personally regardless. So he's attracted attention to himself before he's even started.

"I told to him before the game, 'Good players require no excuses, they can get on with it and just be themselves, you can get the man of the match if you choose,' and he responded, 'Yeah, I agree.'

"Therefore he's that type of player, he prepares well, he's has a excellent approach to understand his detail and thus that's why he fitted right back in and he was able to be himself due to that."

The player's efforts also earned commendation from the opposing coach, who remarked he was the "exceptional opposition performer" on the evening.

"In my view he was outstanding, his experience was evident to the front," commented the former international manager.

"Regrettably, Hansen was probably the best opposition player on the pitch. He's has a excellent ability and he's such a good competitor."

Pressed about what enables the player a good fit at the number 15 position, the coach added: "Showing up in the center of the pitch is something that he does from the flank anyway, but I imagine he's more in position for that frequently.

"His high ball work was brilliant, don't you think? I thought we persisted of doing the correct approach and that was placing the ball again on them to secure field position.

"Why that was the correct strategy to do is since it's the likes of Mackie who was getting the possessions back, and additional players, so [it's] quite pleasing."

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

Sam Prendergast was excellent on his return to the number 10 jersey, the set piece and throw-in operated effectively and another player did not appear out of place in his first start in the front row.

But possibly more pleasing for the manager was the team framing the match with two strong periods.

Hansen's first two tries came in the opening eleven minutes while other players scored in the closing stages after the opposition had scored, guaranteeing the Irish team finished on a high.

"I thought we truly performed freely and approached the game right from the word go," stated Farrell.

"The way we handled various elements throughout the game, particularly the opposition responding just before half-time and reorganizing ourselves and producing a performance like we did in the second half, I believed as far as field position and being familiar with most of our game in that second half was truly satisfying."

The might of South Africa are next up for Ireland, in what could be viewed as an informal conclusion to last year's drawn multiple match contest on opposition territory.

Farrell's side will need to reach a higher level to defeat the consecutive title holders, but the recent victory of the Wallabies was a important advancement in the right direction after an uninspiring beginning to their fall schedule.