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After last week's disappointing performance against the Japanese team, Andy Farrell challenged his Ireland team to step up their game.

The team responded right away.

The Irish side had faded in the final stages against the All Blacks and taken considerable time to get going versus their Asian opponents.

Nevertheless, against the Wallabies, they started powerfully, with Mack Hansen excelling most prominently during a comprehensive triumph that represented the team's best performance this year.

Making his debut international start at full-back, Hansen scored a three tries, contested excellently for aerial challenges and performed outstandingly against the nation of his birth.

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

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

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

"My entire approach this period was to go out and perform what I can do."

Coach stated: 'Good players require no excuses'

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

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

The 28-year-old had been in excellent form before physical issues ended his dream of making the Test squad.

Having returned recently, he developed a lower body injury that ruled him out for earlier fixtures.

The coach had indicated that the player was particularly determined and these turned out to be not hollow statements as the former provincial player gave his coach a welcome selection dilemma for future games.

"So my first reaction were, 'You better perform well in those different coloured boots!'," commented Farrell, alluding to the player's decision to sport different boots.

"Actually I thought that was fitting but it seems Mack just did that personally regardless. So he's drawn notice to himself before he's even begun.

"I said to him before the game, 'Excellent athletes don't need justifications, they can perform and just be themselves, you can win the man of the match if you want,' and he responded, 'Yeah, I agree.'

"So he's that kind of performer, he trains well, he's got a great attitude to understand his preparation and so that's why he fitted straight into the team and he was able to perform naturally because of that."

Hansen's performance also earned commendation from the rival coach, who stated he was the "standout opposition player" on the night.

"In my view he was outstanding, his knowledge showed to the fore," said the ex- international manager.

"Unfortunately, Mack was probably the standout Australian performer on the field. He's has a excellent ability and he's such a good contender."

Pressed about what enables Hansen a strong option at the number 15 position, the coach continued: "Showing up in the middle of the pitch is a trait that he demonstrates from the flank anyway, but I suppose he's more in position for that frequently.

"His high ball work was brilliant, wasn't it? I believed we didn't get bored of executing the right thing and that was putting the possession again on them to gain field position.

"The reason that was the right thing to do is because it's the players of Hansen who was securing the balls returned, and other teammates, so [it's] pretty pleasing."

Outside Hansen, there were multiple positives for Farrell.

Another player was outstanding on his return to the fly-half position, the scrum and line-out functioned effectively and another teammate did not appear out of place in his debut start in the front row.

But possibly more satisfying for the manager was the team framing the match with multiple strong spells.

Hansen's initial two scores occurred in the opening eleven minutes while additional players registered in the closing stages after the opposition had scored, guaranteeing the home side finished on a high.

"I thought we really let ourselves go and approached the match straight from the word go," said Farrell.

"The way we handled numerous elements during the game, particularly the opposition responding just before half-time and reorganizing ourselves and producing a performance like we achieved in the later stages, I thought as far as field position and being familiar with the majority of our game in that later period was really satisfying."

The might of South Africa are next up for the team, in what could be viewed as an informal decider to the previous season's tied two-Test contest on opposition territory.

The coach's side will require to attain another level to beat the consecutive title holders, but the recent defeat of the Australian team was a important step in the right path after an uninspiring start to their autumn campaign.