O'Driscoll left empty again
Ireland captain says feeling is the same after All Blacks defeat
Ireland's Brian O'Driscoll said that the feeling after the 27-17 defeat to New Zealand on Saturday was just the same as after the 34-23 defeat last week.
Ireland, who had trailed 17-0 at one stage, fought back to 27-17, but just could not find the extra something to break down the world's number one team.
"It certainly wasn't vintage from either side out there today, it certainly was very difficult conditions," he said immediately after the game.
"Having fought our way back into the game, we conceded a soft try and essentially threw it away."
O'Driscoll was still generous in his praise of the character shown by his team after slipping to the early deficit.
"We've built that up in the last few years, I don't think you can ever count this side out," he said.
"We realised that if we got one score and then a second we could get ourselves back into it and maybe the All Blacks would doubt themselves a little bit again.
"When we got within three points of them we felt we had them on the rack."
Conditions in Auckland were terrible with periods of torrential rain playing havoc with ball control and forcing a lot of safe play from both sides.
O'Driscoll admitted it was often a liability to be in possession in such dangerous conditions, adding: "I'm sure it wasn't vintage rugby and the stats will show there were a lot of scrums for knock-ons.
"We have always known that if we can put phases together we are capable of beating any team in the world.
"It showed the fighting spirit of the side to come back, but it would be a lot easier if we weren't 17 points down."
The All Blacks had looked to be comfortably in charge with a 20-0 lead through a fifth-minute try to half-back Byron Kelleher and a controversial try in the 27th minute to prop Clarke Dermody. Lock Chris Jack looked to have dropped the ball in the immediate movement before Dermody scored.
Ireland protested but then responded in the best fashion possible when scrum-half Peter Stringer took a tap penalty and fed big lock Paul O'Connell five metres out from the New Zealand line. He was taken to ground, but was not held, regaining his feet and finding open space in the All Blacks in-goal area to score.
A minute before the break Stringer secured a fine take at a lineout five metres from the All Blacks line. The Irish drove around him and in the rush along the goal-line, it was hooker Jerry Flannery who scored.
Fly-half Ronan O'Gara converted both tries and then 12 minutes into the second half he landed a penalty goal to get Ireland to within three points.
But that was as close as the Irish got and although the All Blacks had to defend solidly in the face of sustained pressure, they never looked like cracking, with the win sealed by McAlister in the 70th minute.
"Games like tonight give you a lot of confidence that you can stay with them," said Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan.
"I wouldn't panic about having to play New Zealand then."
