MACK HANSEN scored a first-half hat-trick as Ireland romped to a 46-19 victory over Australia in Dublin in their third Autumn International.
With Hugo Keenan and Jamie Osborne injured, Canberra-born Hansen started at full-back for the first time in a Test match as he returned from a foot injury picked up with Connacht last month.
However, any doubts about Andy Farrell's decision to throw Hansen in were quickly dismissed as he put the nation of his birth to the sword with three tries inside half-an-hour.
Farrell joked afterwards that Hansen's performance exonerated his choice of footwear, having taken to the field in one white boot and one white one.
"My first thoughts were, 'You better play well in those two different-coloured boots'," said Farrell after the game.
"I actually thought that was how it should have been but apparently Mack just did that himself anyway.
"So he's drawn attention to himself before he's even started."
Record victory
It may have been Hansen's boots that caught the eye initially but it was his performance and that of Ireland that stole the attention as the hosts exploded into action.
After fading in the second half against New Zealand and starting sluggishly against Japan, this was a more holistic performance from the hosts.
A pacy, pressing start had the visitors on the back foot before a quick penalty from Jamison Gibson-Park was worked to Hansen, who had acres of space to dot down under the posts after six minutes.
The next try five minutes later was a carbon copy of the first with Ireland winning the scrum on Australia's line and finding Hansen, who went over at the same spot, with Sam Prendergast converting both.
Australia began to exert some pressure on Ireland and it told when, with the penalty advantage on the Irish line, Len Ikitau powered over after 18 minutes.
However, Ireland extended their lead to 19-7 as Hansen completed his hat-trick 10 minutes later, Tommy O'Brien claiming Prendergast's cross-field kick before laying it back for Hansen to swoop on and go over.
Australia once again responded and a sustained spell of pressure saw Fraser McReight breach the Irish defence under the posts just before half-time to make it 19-14.
Both sides struggled on a slick Aviva pitch in the second half but Prendergast extended Ireland's lead with a drop goal on 56 minutes.
After an O'Brien try was ruled out for a knock-on, Jack Crowley's penalty made it 25-14.
Hansen's kick then brought Ireland to the Wallabies' line before Caelan Doris went over, while Nick Frost was sin-binned for a high tackle on Thomas Clarkson in the build-up.
That left the hosts 32-14 in front against 14 men with 10 minutes left, although the Wallabies managed a try after winning a line-out in the Irish 22, Pollard driving over from the base of the ruck.
However, Ireland capitalised on their advantage through late tries from Ryan Baird and Robbie Henshaw, the latter going over in the corner after claiming a fantastic pass from Gibson-Park.
Crowley's conversion made it 46-19, sealing Ireland's record victory over the wallabies.
'We gave a good account of ourselves'
Speaking after the game, Farrell was pleased to secure an historic victory before next week's final Autumn International against world champions South Africa.
"It's very pleasing to be sat in here with the scoreline like that in those types of conditions against a side that would have been well up for this," said Farrell.
"It's pretty pleasing how we handled lots of bits throughout the game, especially them coming back just before half-time and regathering ourselves and giving a performance like we did in the second half."
He added: "The start was pretty good — I thought we really let ourselves go and attacked the game straight from the word go.
"Obviously, some setbacks discipline-wise and dropped balls are going to happen in games like that, and them coming back into it.
"But holding our nerve and attacking the game again in the second half, and to keep playing the type of rugby that we did again in those conditions right to the end, I thought we gave a good account of ourselves."
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