🔗 Share this article

Following their previous disappointing showing against the Japanese team, Andy Farrell told his Ireland squad to improve their game.

Ireland responded right away.

The Irish side had struggled late against the All Blacks and taken considerable time to find their rhythm versus Japan.

Nevertheless, against the Wallabies, they started powerfully, with Mack Hansen excelling brightest during a 46-19 victory that represented Ireland's best performance this year.

Making his first test match appearance at the number 15 position, the player scored a three tries, competed excellently for aerial challenges and performed exceptionally against the country of his origin.

"You know, I've experienced a fairly difficult period with fitness issues honestly," Hansen stated.

"I missed being in this squad, I understand there's much talk about me not exactly being raised here and I wasn't raised here, but I adore this team and this seems like home.

"Whenever I get to represent 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 go out and perform what I can do."

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

Following twenty-eight appearances on the flank, the player was entrusted the full-back role for the initial time with several players unavailable.

For him, it was essentially a matter of picking up where he left off during the summer.

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

After come back last month, he suffered a foot problem that made him unavailable for previous matches.

Farrell had suggested that the player was particularly motivated and these proved not hollow statements as the ex- provincial player gave his coach a positive selection headache for future games.

"Well my initial reaction were, 'You better perform well in those different coloured shoes!'," commented the coach, alluding to the player's decision to sport mismatched footwear.

"In fact I believed that was fitting but it seems Hansen just made that personally regardless. So he's attracted notice to himself before he's even begun.

"I said to him before the game, 'Good players require no excuses, they can get on with it and just play naturally, you can get the player of the game if you want,' and he went, 'Yeah, I concur.'

"So he's that kind of performer, he prepares well, he's got a great attitude to understand his detail and thus that's why he fitted right back in and he was able to perform naturally due to that."

Hansen's efforts also earned praise from the opposing manager, who stated he was the "standout Australian performer" on the night.

"I thought he was outstanding, his experience was evident to the fore," commented the former national coach.

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

When asked about what makes the player a strong option at full-back, Farrell continued: "Appearing in the center of the pitch is something that he demonstrates from the flank regardless, but I imagine he's more in place for that more often.

"His high ball work was brilliant, wasn't it? I believed we didn't get bored of doing the right thing and that was putting the ball back on them to gain field position.

"Why that was the correct thing to do is since it's the likes of Mackie who was getting the possessions back, and additional teammates, so [it's] quite satisfying."

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

Another player was outstanding on his return to the number 10 position, the scrum and line-out operated smoothly and different teammate did not look uncomfortable in his debut appearance in the forwards.

But possibly more pleasing for Farrell was the team framing the game with multiple strong spells.

The player's initial two tries occurred in the first 11 moments while other players registered in the closing stages after the opposition had crossed, ensuring the home side finished on a high.

"I thought we truly let ourselves go and approached the match right from the beginning," stated the coach.

"How we handled numerous aspects during the game, particularly the opposition responding just before the break and reorganizing ourselves and giving a performance like we achieved in the later stages, I thought as far as territory and being familiar with most of our game in that later period was really pleasing."

The might of the Springboks are next up for the team, in what might be viewed as an informal decider to last year's drawn two-Test series on opposition territory.

The coach's team will need to attain a higher standard to defeat the consecutive title holders, but Saturday's defeat of the Wallabies was a important step in the correct direction after an disappointing start to their autumn schedule.