After their previous underwhelming showing against Japan, Andy Farrell challenged his Irish squad to improve their game.
The team responded right away.
Ireland had faded in the final stages against New Zealand and required most of the match to get going versus Japan.
Nevertheless, facing the Wallabies, they started powerfully, with Mack Hansen excelling brightest during a comprehensive victory that marked Ireland's finest performance this year.
In his first test match start at full-back, Hansen scored a hat-trick, competed excellently for aerial challenges and performed outstandingly against the country of his birth.
"You know, I've had a pretty difficult run with injuries really," Hansen commented.
"I longed for being in this team, I know there's considerable discussion about me not necessarily being born here and I didn't grow up here, but I love this team and this seems like family.
"Whenever I have to play for Ireland it's a honor, if you fail to deliver a performance you might not get that opportunity again.
"My whole approach this period was to take the field and perform what I could do."
After 28 caps on the flank, the player was entrusted the number 15 role for the first time with multiple teammates unavailable.
In his case, it was essentially a case of continuing where he left off during the summer.
The experienced player had been in superb condition before injury ended his aspiration of making the Test team.
Having come back recently, he developed a lower body problem that made him unavailable for earlier fixtures.
The coach had suggested that Hansen was particularly motivated and these turned out to be not empty statements as the former club player gave his manager a positive selection headache for upcoming games.
"Well my first reaction were, 'You better play well in those two coloured shoes!'," said the coach, alluding to the player's choice to sport mismatched boots.
"In fact I believed that was appropriate but it seems Hansen just did that himself anyway. So he's drawn attention to himself before he's even begun.
"I said to him before the match, 'Excellent athletes don't need excuses, they can get on with it and just be themselves, you can get the player of the game if you choose,' and he responded, 'Yeah, I concur.'
"So he's that type of performer, he trains thoroughly, he's got a excellent attitude to understand his preparation and so that's why he slotted straight into the team and he was capable to be himself due to that."
The player's efforts also received commendation from the rival manager, who remarked he was the "exceptional opposition player" on the evening.
"I thought he was super, his experience was evident to the fore," said the former international coach.
"Regrettably, Hansen was probably the standout Australian player on the field. He's got a great skillset and he's such a strong competitor."
Pressed about what enables Hansen a strong option at the number 15 position, the coach continued: "Showing up in the middle of the pitch is a trait that he demonstrates from the flank regardless, but I imagine he's better in place for that frequently.
"The player's aerial work was excellent, wasn't it? I believed we persisted of executing the correct thing and that was placing the ball again on them to secure territory.
"Why that was the correct thing to do is because it's the likes of Hansen who was securing the possessions back, and other teammates, so [it's] quite satisfying."
Outside the star performer, there were numerous positives for the coach.
Sam Prendergast was excellent on his comeback to the number 10 position, the set piece and line-out functioned effectively and different teammate did not appear out of place in his debut start in the forwards.
But possibly most satisfying for Farrell was the team framing the match with two strong periods.
The player's first couple of scores occurred in the opening 11 minutes while other players scored in the closing exchanges after the other team had scored, ensuring the Irish team concluded on a positive note.
"In my opinion we truly let ourselves go and approached the match right from the word go," said the coach.
"The way we handled various elements throughout the game, especially the opposition responding just before the break and regathering ourselves and producing a performance like we did in the later stages, I believed as far as field position and being across most of our strategy in that second half was truly satisfying."
The might of South Africa are awaiting for the team, in what might be considered as an informal conclusion to last year's tied multiple match series on opposition territory.
Farrell's team will require to attain another level to beat the back-to-back world champions, but Saturday's victory of the Australian team was a important advancement in the correct path after an uninspiring start to their fall schedule.
