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Following their previous underwhelming performance against the Japanese team, the head coach told his Ireland team to step up their performance.

The team listened immediately.

The Irish side had struggled late against the All Blacks and required most of the match to get going versus Japan.

Nevertheless, facing Australia, they began powerfully, with Mack Hansen excelling most prominently during a 46-19 victory that marked the team's best display of the season.

In his first international appearance at the number 15 position, Hansen scored a hat-trick, competed excellently for high balls and played outstandingly against the country of his birth.

"Look, I've had a fairly challenging period with fitness issues honestly," the athlete stated.

"I missed being in this team, I understand 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 play for the national team it's a privilege, if you fail to deliver a good showing you may not receive that opportunity again.

"My entire focus this week was to take the field and do what I can do."

Coach declared: 'Excellent players require no justifications'

After 28 appearances on the wing, the player was given the number 15 position for the first time with multiple teammates injured.

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

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

After come back last month, he suffered a foot injury that ruled him out for previous fixtures.

Farrell had suggested that the player was especially motivated and these proved not empty statements as the former club player gave his coach a welcome team headache for upcoming matches.

"So my first thoughts were, 'You better play excellently in those two coloured shoes!'," said Farrell, referring to the player's decision to wear different footwear.

"In fact I believed that was appropriate but it seems Mack just made that personally anyway. So he's drawn attention to himself before he's even begun.

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

"So he's that kind of player, he trains well, he's got a excellent approach to get across his detail and thus that's why he slotted right into the team and he was able to perform naturally due to that."

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

"I thought he was outstanding, his knowledge was evident to the fore," said the former international manager.

"Unfortunately, Hansen was likely the best Australian performer on the pitch. He's has a great ability and he's such a good contender."

Pressed about what enables the player a good fit at the number 15 position, Farrell added: "Showing up in the center of the field is something that he demonstrates from the flank regardless, but I imagine he's better in position for that more often.

"The player's aerial play was brilliant, wasn't it? I believed we persisted of doing the right approach and that was putting the ball again on them to secure territory.

"The reason that was the correct thing to do is since it's the likes of Mackie who was getting the possessions returned, and additional teammates, so [it's] pretty pleasing."

Outside Hansen, there were multiple positives for Farrell.

Sam Prendergast was excellent on his return to the fly-half position, the set piece and line-out functioned smoothly and different player did not look out of place in his first start in the front row.

But possibly most satisfying for the manager was Ireland bookending the game with multiple strong spells.

Hansen's first couple of scores occurred in the first eleven minutes while additional teammates registered in the final exchanges after the opposition had crossed, guaranteeing the home team concluded on a high.

"I thought we truly performed freely and attacked the match straight from the beginning," stated Farrell.

"How we handled various aspects during the match, especially them coming back just before half-time and reorganizing ourselves and producing a display like we did 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 pleasing."

The strength of the Springboks are awaiting for Ireland, in what could be considered as an informal conclusion to the previous season's drawn multiple match contest on opposition territory.

Farrell's team will need to reach another level to defeat the back-to-back world champions, but Saturday's defeat of the Australian team was a significant advancement in the correct direction after an disappointing beginning to their autumn campaign.