🔗 Share this article

After last week's underwhelming showing against the Japanese team, the head coach challenged his Irish team to step up their game.

The team listened immediately.

The Irish side had faded late against the All Blacks and taken most of the match to find their rhythm versus their Asian opponents.

However, against Australia, they began strongly, with the talented back shining brightest during a comprehensive victory that marked the team's best display this year.

Making his first test match appearance at the number 15 position, the player registered a hat-trick, contested excellently for high balls and performed exceptionally against the country of his birth.

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

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

"Whenever I have to play for the national team it's a privilege, if you don't put in a good showing you might not get that privilege again.

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

Coach declared: 'Good players don't need excuses'

After 28 appearances on the flank, Hansen was entrusted the number 15 role for the first time with multiple players unavailable.

In his case, it was essentially a case of continuing where he left off during the summer.

The 28-year-old had been in excellent form before injury disrupted his aspiration of making the international team.

Having 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 proved not hollow statements as the ex- club player gave his manager a positive team dilemma for upcoming games.

"So my first reaction were, 'You need to perform excellently in those two coloured shoes!'," commented the coach, alluding to Hansen's decision to sport mismatched footwear.

"Actually I believed that was appropriate but apparently Hansen just did that himself anyway. So he's drawn attention to himself before he's even started.

"I told to him before the game, 'Excellent athletes don't need justifications, they can get on with it and just play naturally, you can get the man of the match if you want,' and he responded, 'Yes, I concur.'

"So he's that kind of performer, he prepares thoroughly, he's has a excellent approach to understand his preparation and thus that's why he slotted straight into the team and he was able to perform naturally due to that."

The player's performance also received commendation from the opposing manager, who stated he was the "standout opposition player" on the night.

"In my view he was super, his knowledge was evident to the front," said the ex- international coach.

"Unfortunately, Mack was likely the best Australian performer on the pitch. He's has a great skillset and he's such a strong competitor."

When asked about what makes Hansen a good fit at full-back, Farrell added: "Showing up in the center of the field is something that he demonstrates from the wing anyway, but I suppose he's more in position for that more often.

"The player's aerial play was brilliant, wasn't it? I believed we persisted of doing the correct thing and that was placing the ball again on them to gain field position.

"Why that was the correct thing to do is since it's the players of Mackie who was getting the balls back, and additional players, so [it's] pretty pleasing."

Beyond Hansen, there were numerous encouraging aspects for the coach.

Another player was excellent on his return to the fly-half jersey, the scrum and line-out functioned smoothly and another player did not look uncomfortable in his first appearance in the forwards.

But possibly most pleasing for the manager was the team bookending the match with multiple strong spells.

The player's first two scores came in the first 11 minutes while other players scored in the final stages after the other team had scored, ensuring the home team concluded on a positive note.

"In my opinion we truly performed freely and approached the match straight from the word go," said Farrell.

"The way we handled numerous elements throughout the match, particularly the opposition responding just before the break and regathering ourselves and producing a display like we achieved in the later stages, I believed as far as territory and being familiar with most of our game in that later period was really pleasing."

The strength of South Africa are awaiting for the team, in what could be viewed as an unofficial conclusion to the previous season's drawn multiple match series on rival territory.

The coach's team will require to attain another level to defeat the consecutive world champions, but Saturday's defeat of the Australian team was a important step in the correct direction after an uninspiring beginning to their fall schedule.