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Following their previous underwhelming showing against Japan, the head coach challenged his Irish squad to step up their performance.

Ireland listened immediately.

Ireland had struggled in the final stages against New Zealand and taken considerable time to get going versus Japan.

However, against Australia, they started strongly, with Mack Hansen shining brightest during a 46-19 triumph that represented the team's best display this year.

In his debut international start at the number 15 position, Hansen scored a hat-trick, contested brilliantly for high balls and played outstandingly against the country of his birth.

"Look, I've experienced a pretty challenging period with injuries really," the athlete commented.

"I missed being in this team, I understand there's considerable discussion about me not exactly being born here and I didn't grow up here, but I love this team and this seems like family.

"Any time I get 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 focus this period was to go out and do what I could do."

Coach stated: 'Excellent athletes don't need excuses'

Following 28 caps on the flank, Hansen was given the full-back position for the initial time with multiple teammates unavailable.

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

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

After come back last month, he developed a lower body problem that made him unavailable for previous fixtures.

Farrell had indicated that the player was especially determined and these proved not hollow statements as the ex- club player gave his coach a positive selection dilemma for upcoming games.

"So my first thoughts were, 'You better perform excellently in those different colored shoes!'," commented the coach, alluding to Hansen's decision to sport different footwear.

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

"I said to him before the match, 'Excellent athletes don't need justifications, they can get on with it and just play naturally, you can win the man of the match if you want,' and he went, 'Yeah, I concur.'

"Therefore he's that kind of player, he trains well, he's got a excellent approach to understand his detail and so that's why he fitted right into the team and he was capable to perform naturally due to that."

Hansen's efforts also received commendation from the opposing coach, who remarked he was the "standout opposition performer" on the night.

"I thought he was outstanding, his experience was evident to the fore," said the ex- national manager.

"Unfortunately, Mack was probably the best Australian performer on the field. He's has a great skillset and he's such a strong competitor."

Pressed about what makes Hansen a good option at the number 15 position, the coach continued: "Appearing in the center of the field is something that he demonstrates from the flank regardless, but I imagine he's more in position for that more often.

"His aerial work was brilliant, don't you think? I thought we persisted of executing the right thing and that was putting the possession again on them to gain territory.

"The reason that was the correct thing to do is because it's the likes of Mackie who was securing the balls back, and additional players, so [it's] quite pleasing."

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

Another player was outstanding on his comeback to the fly-half jersey, the scrum and line-out operated smoothly and another player did not look uncomfortable in his debut appearance in the forwards.

But possibly more pleasing for Farrell was the team bookending the game with two strong periods.

The player's initial two tries came in the first 11 moments while additional players scored in the final exchanges after the other team had scored, ensuring the Irish side concluded on a high.

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

"How we handled various aspects throughout the match, especially the opposition coming back just before the break and reorganizing ourselves and giving a performance 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 really satisfying."

The strength of the Springboks are awaiting for the team, in what might be viewed as an unofficial decider to the previous season's tied two-Test series on opposition territory.

The coach's side will need to attain a higher standard to beat the back-to-back title holders, but Saturday's victory of the Australian team was a significant advancement in the correct direction after an uninspiring start to their autumn schedule.