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Following their previous disappointing showing against Japan, Andy Farrell told his Ireland team to step up their performance.

The team responded immediately.

The Irish side had struggled in the final stages against the All Blacks and taken most of the match to find their rhythm versus their Asian opponents.

Nevertheless, facing Australia, they started powerfully, with the talented back shining brightest during a 46-19 victory that represented the team's best performance of the season.

In his debut test match start at the number 15 position, the player scored a three tries, competed excellently for aerial challenges and performed outstandingly against the country of his birth.

"Look, I've experienced a pretty difficult period with fitness issues really," Hansen stated.

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

"Any time I have to represent for the national team it's a honor, if you don't put in a performance you may not receive that privilege again.

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

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

Following twenty-eight appearances on the wing, the player was entrusted the full-back position for the first time with multiple teammates unavailable.

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

The experienced player had been in excellent form before injury ended his aspiration of joining the international team.

After returned recently, he suffered a lower body injury that made him unavailable for earlier fixtures.

The coach had suggested that the player was especially determined and these turned out to be not empty statements as the former provincial player gave his coach a positive team dilemma for upcoming matches.

"So my initial reaction were, 'You need to play well in those two coloured shoes!'," said the coach, referring to the player's choice to wear different boots.

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

"I said to him before the match, 'Good players don't need excuses, they can perform and just be themselves, you can win the man of the match if you want,' and he went, 'Yeah, I agree.'

"Therefore he's that kind of performer, he prepares well, he's has a excellent attitude to get across his detail and so that's why he slotted straight back in and he was capable to perform naturally because of that."

Hansen's performance also received praise from the rival coach, who remarked he was the "standout opposition player" on the evening.

"In my view he was super, his experience showed to the front," said the former national manager.

"Unfortunately, Mack was probably the standout opposition player on the pitch. He's has a excellent ability and he's such a strong contender."

Pressed about what makes the player a strong fit at the number 15 position, the coach continued: "Appearing in the center of the pitch is a trait that he does from the flank regardless, but I suppose he's more in place for that frequently.

"The player's aerial work was brilliant, wasn't it? I thought we didn't get bored of doing the correct approach and that was putting the ball back on them to gain field position.

"The reason that was the right thing to do is because it's the likes of Mackie who was securing the balls back, and other teammates, so [it's] quite satisfying."

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

Another player was excellent on his return to the fly-half jersey, the scrum and line-out operated effectively and different player did not look uncomfortable in his debut start in the forwards.

But perhaps most satisfying for the manager was the team framing the game with two impressive spells.

The player's initial couple of scores came in the opening 11 minutes while other teammates registered in the closing exchanges after the opposition had crossed, ensuring the home side finished on a positive note.

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

"The way we handled various aspects throughout the match, particularly them responding just before half-time and reorganizing ourselves and giving a performance like we achieved in the second half, I thought as far as field position and being familiar with the majority of our strategy in that second half was truly satisfying."

The might of South Africa are awaiting for Ireland, in what might be considered as an unofficial conclusion to the previous season's drawn two-Test contest on rival soil.

The coach's side will require to reach a higher standard to beat the back-to-back title holders, but Saturday's defeat of the Wallabies was a important advancement in the correct direction after an disappointing start to their autumn campaign.