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Following their previous underwhelming performance against Japan, Andy Farrell told his Ireland team to improve their game.

The team responded right away.

Ireland had struggled late against New Zealand and taken most of the match to find their rhythm versus Japan.

Nevertheless, facing the Wallabies, they began strongly, with the talented back excelling most prominently during a comprehensive victory that represented the team's finest display of the season.

Making his debut international appearance at the number 15 position, the player scored a hat-trick, contested brilliantly for high balls and played exceptionally against the nation of his birth.

"You know, I've had a pretty challenging run with fitness issues really," the athlete commented.

"I longed for being in this team, I understand there's much discussion about me not necessarily being born here and I wasn't raised here, but I love this group and this feels like family.

"Whenever I get to play for Ireland it's a honor, if you fail to deliver a performance you might not receive that privilege again.

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

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

Following 28 caps on the flank, the player was entrusted the full-back position for the initial time with several teammates unavailable.

For him, it was essentially a case of picking up where he finished during the summer.

The 28-year-old had been in excellent form before physical issues disrupted his aspiration of joining the international team.

After come back recently, he suffered a foot problem that made him unavailable for previous fixtures.

Farrell had suggested that the player was especially determined and these turned out to be not empty statements as the former club player gave his coach a welcome team headache for upcoming matches.

"Well my first reaction were, 'You need to perform well in those different colored boots!'," commented Farrell, referring to the player's choice to wear mismatched footwear.

"In fact I thought that was appropriate but apparently 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 be themselves, you can win the player of the game if you want,' and he responded, 'Yes, I concur.'

"So he's that kind of player, he trains thoroughly, he's has a great attitude to understand his detail and so that's why he slotted right back in and he was able to be himself because of that."

Hansen's performance also earned commendation from the opposing coach, who remarked he was the "standout Australian player" on the night.

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

"Regrettably, Hansen was likely the best Australian performer on the field. He's got a excellent ability and he's such a strong contender."

Pressed about what enables the player a strong fit at full-back, the coach continued: "Appearing in the center of the field is something that he does from the wing anyway, but I suppose he's more in position for that frequently.

"The player's aerial work was excellent, wasn't it? I believed we didn't get bored of executing the right approach and that was placing the possession again on them to secure territory.

"Why that was the correct strategy to do is because it's the players of Mackie who was getting the possessions returned, and other teammates, so [it's] quite satisfying."

Beyond Hansen, there were multiple encouraging aspects for Farrell.

Sam Prendergast was excellent on his return to the fly-half position, the set piece and throw-in functioned effectively and another player did not look out of place in his first appearance in the forwards.

But possibly more pleasing for Farrell was the team bookending the match with multiple strong periods.

Hansen's first two tries occurred in the first eleven moments while additional teammates registered in the final stages after the opposition had scored, ensuring the Irish side finished on a positive note.

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

"The way we managed numerous aspects during the match, especially the opposition responding just before half-time and regathering ourselves and giving a performance like we did in the later stages, I thought as far as territory 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 Ireland, in what could be viewed as an unofficial decider to the previous season's drawn multiple match series on opposition territory.

Farrell's side will require to reach another standard to defeat the consecutive world champions, but the recent victory of the Wallabies was a important step in the right direction after an uninspiring beginning to their autumn campaign.