Mack Hansen delivers brilliant performance as Irish squad answer to Farrell's demand

After last week's disappointing performance against the Japanese team, the head coach told his Ireland team to step up their game.

Ireland responded right away.

Ireland had faded in the final stages against the All Blacks and taken considerable time to get going versus Japan.

Nevertheless, against the Wallabies, they began strongly, with the talented back excelling most prominently during a 46-19 triumph that represented Ireland's finest performance of the season.

In his first international start at the number 15 position, the player scored a hat-trick, contested excellently for aerial challenges and played outstandingly against the nation of his birth.

"Look, I've experienced a fairly difficult run with injuries honestly," the athlete commented.

"I longed for being in this squad, I understand there's much talk 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 get to play for Ireland it's a honor, if you fail to deliver a performance you may not get that opportunity again.

"My entire focus this week 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, Hansen was given the number 15 position for the first time with multiple players injured.

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

The 28-year-old had been in excellent condition before injury ended his aspiration of making the Test squad.

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

Farrell had suggested that the player was particularly motivated and these turned out to be not hollow words as the ex- club player gave his manager a positive selection dilemma for future matches.

"So my initial reaction were, 'You better perform excellently in those different coloured boots!'," said Farrell, referring to the player's choice to wear different boots.

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

"I told to him before the match, 'Excellent athletes don't need excuses, they can perform and just play naturally, you can win the player of the game if you want,' and he went, 'Yes, I agree.'

"Therefore he's that type of player, he trains well, he's has a great approach to get across his preparation and thus that's why he fitted right into the team and he was capable to be himself because of that."

The player's performance also earned praise from the rival coach, who remarked he was the "standout Australian performer" on the evening.

"I thought he was super, his experience was evident to the fore," commented the ex- international manager.

"Regrettably, Hansen was likely the best opposition player on the field. He's has a great skillset and he's such a good contender."

Pressed about what enables Hansen a good option at full-back, the coach added: "Appearing in the middle of the pitch is something that he demonstrates from the flank regardless, but I suppose he's more in position for that frequently.

"His high ball play was excellent, don't you think? I thought we didn't get bored of executing the correct approach and that was placing the ball again on them to gain territory.

"Why that was the correct thing to do is because it's the players of Mackie who was securing the balls back, and other teammates, so [it's] pretty satisfying."

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

Sam Prendergast was excellent on his comeback to the number 10 position, the scrum and throw-in operated effectively and different teammate did not appear out of place in his debut appearance in the front row.

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

The player's first two scores occurred in the opening 11 minutes while additional teammates scored in the final stages after the other team had crossed, ensuring the home team concluded on a high.

"I thought we really let ourselves go and approached the game straight from the beginning," stated Farrell.

"The way we handled various aspects during the match, particularly the opposition responding just before half-time and reorganizing ourselves and producing a display like we achieved in the second half, I thought as far as field position and being familiar with most of our game in that later period was really satisfying."

The strength of the Springboks are awaiting for the team, in what might be considered as an unofficial conclusion to last year's drawn multiple match series on opposition territory.

The coach's side will need to reach a higher level to defeat the back-to-back world champions, but the recent defeat of the Australian team was a significant advancement in the correct direction after an uninspiring start to their fall schedule.