Ireland 46-19 Australia: McHansen shines as the Irish respond to Andy Farrell’s call

After 28 caps on the wing, Hansen was handed the full-back role for the first time with both Hugo Keenan and Jimmy Osborne injured.

For him, it was about picking up where he left off in the summer. The 28-year-old was in fine form on the British and Irish Lions tour before injury dashed his dream of making the Test team.

After returning to Connacht last month, he suffered a foot injury that ruled him out of matches with the All Blacks and Japan.

After revealing his squad on Thursday, Farrell said Hansen had “a bit between his teeth” and they were clearly not empty words as the former Brumbies player gave his coach an interesting selection headache in the near future.

“Well, my first thoughts were: ‘You better play well in these two different colored shoes!’” Farrell said, referring to Hansen’s decision to wear one black and one white shoe.

“I actually thought that was the way it should have been, but apparently Mac did it to himself anyway. So he drew attention to himself before he even started.”

“I said to him before the game: ‘Good players don’t need excuses, they can get on with it and be themselves, you can get man of the match if you want,’ and he said: ‘Yes, I agree.’”

“So he’s that type of player, he prepares well, he has a great attitude with his details, and that’s why he came right back and was able to be himself because of that.”