🔗 Share this article

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

Ireland listened right away.

The Irish side had struggled late against New Zealand and required considerable time to find their rhythm versus their Asian opponents.

Nevertheless, against Australia, they started powerfully, with the talented back excelling most prominently during a 46-19 victory that represented Ireland's best performance of the season.

Making his debut test match appearance at full-back, the player scored a three tries, contested brilliantly for aerial challenges and played outstandingly against the nation of his origin.

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

"I missed being in this squad, I understand there's considerable discussion about me not necessarily being raised here and I didn't grow up here, but I love this team and this feels like family.

"Whenever I have to play for Ireland it's a privilege, if you don't put in a performance you may not get that opportunity again.

"My whole approach this period was to go out and perform what I could do."

Coach stated: 'Good players require no justifications'

After twenty-eight caps on the flank, Hansen was given the number 15 position for the first time with several teammates unavailable.

For him, it was essentially a matter of continuing where he finished during the summer.

The 28-year-old had been in superb condition before injury disrupted his aspiration of joining the Test team.

Having returned last month, he developed a lower body problem that made him unavailable for earlier matches.

The coach had suggested that Hansen was especially motivated and these turned out to be not empty words as the ex- club player gave his coach a positive team headache for future games.

"Well my initial thoughts were, 'You better play excellently in those different coloured boots!'," said the coach, alluding to the player's choice to wear different footwear.

"Actually I believed that was fitting but apparently Hansen just made that himself anyway. So he's attracted notice to himself before he's even started.

"I said to him before the game, 'Excellent players don't need excuses, they can get on with it and just be themselves, you can get the player of the game if you want,' and he went, 'Yeah, I concur.'

"Therefore he's that kind of player, he trains well, he's got a excellent attitude to get across his detail and so that's why he fitted straight into the team and he was capable to be himself because of that."

Hansen's efforts also earned praise from the rival coach, who stated he was the "standout opposition player" on the night.

"I thought he was outstanding, his knowledge was evident to the fore," commented the ex- national coach.

"Regrettably, Mack was probably the best Australian performer on the field. He's has a excellent ability and he's such a strong contender."

When asked about what enables Hansen a strong fit at full-back, the coach continued: "Appearing in the center of the field is a trait that he demonstrates from the flank regardless, but I suppose he's better in place for that frequently.

"His high ball play was brilliant, wasn't it? I thought we persisted of doing the correct thing and that was putting the ball again on them to secure field position.

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

Beyond Hansen, there were numerous positives for the coach.

Sam Prendergast was excellent on his return to the number 10 position, the scrum and line-out functioned smoothly and another teammate did not appear uncomfortable in his debut start in the forwards.

But possibly most satisfying for Farrell was Ireland bookending the match with two impressive spells.

Hansen's first two scores occurred in the first eleven moments while additional players registered in the closing exchanges after the other team had scored, guaranteeing the Irish side concluded on a positive note.

"In my opinion we truly performed freely and attacked the match straight from the beginning," stated the coach.

"The way we handled numerous aspects during the match, particularly them responding just before the break and reorganizing ourselves and producing a display like we did in the later stages, I thought as far as field position and being across the majority of our strategy in that second half was truly pleasing."

The might of South Africa are next up for the team, in what might be viewed as an informal conclusion to the previous season's drawn multiple match series on opposition territory.

The coach's side will require to reach a higher level to beat the back-to-back world champions, but Saturday's victory of the Wallabies was a important advancement in the correct direction after an uninspiring start to their autumn schedule.