THERE was no second test capitulation in New Zealand this time around, the sluice gates remained firmly locked and bolted as Ireland, for the second Saturday in a row, trudged off the field with the feeling that they had left a bit of history behind them.

It was on odd sort of game at a soggy Eden Park, because for a good half an hour it appeared that the All Blacks would pile the points high against the tired visitors.

Byron Kelleher and Clarke Dermody both scored tries which had their conceptions from rolling mauls, and as Ireland struggled to put the rare ball they got through the phases, it was difficult to see how Eddie O'Sullivan's side were actually going to keep the score respectable.

We should have had more faith.

For the second week in a row, Ireland should tremendous mental strength to tough their way back into the game. Ambition was once again the key. With Ireland 170 behind, Peter Stringer took a quick tap in front of the posts and one phase later Paul O'Connell was sliding in under the sticks. Five minutes later Brian O'Driscoll decided to kick to the corner and go for seven points rather than take the guaranteed three on offer from a penalty.

Jerry Flannery's try off a maul was Ireland's reward.

From there, in a messy, error-strewn second-half where both sides appeared a little nervous, Ireland had their opportunities to win the game and they'll undoubtedly look through the video of this one and pinpoint a couple of moments, and decisions, that they could have handled better. A knock-on under no pressure from Ronan O'Gara, a kick out on the full from the uncomfortable looking Andrew Trimble, the decision to gamble with a crossfield kick to Shane Horgan around the hour mark rather than attempt to open the All Blacks up through other means, were all critical moments in Ireland losing this game and it's opportunities like these that this side will have to grasp in the future if they're to achieve the results they strive for against the world's best.

They're also going to have to learn how to start games that little bit better, although it's not exactly the kind of issue that's easy to solve.

Throughout the Six Nations they seemed incapable of playing until they went a couple of points behind and yesterday, just like the first test, they were seven points down before the sixth minute had ticked to a conclusion. The All Blacks maul inflicted the damage on Ireland early on in the atrocious conditions.

Chris Jack grabbed the lineout after Peter Stringer had been forced to seek sanctuary and the home side mauled forward a couple of yards and after Casey Laulala and Troy Flavell both launched themselves at a sturdy Irish defence, Byron Kelleher burrowed low to squeeze the ball onto the line. McAlister had no problem with the convert.

The out-half, looking more comfortable in himself this week, kicked a penalty on 25 minutes to extend the All Black's lead and after Kelleher failed to spot a momentary gap in the green wall which would have resulted in a definite try, the home side produced a near carbon copy of the first effort. Flavell grabbed the ball this time and after the maul was stopped a couple of yards short, Jack had a go around the fringes. He was stopped just short and appeared to knock the ball on but Clarke Dermody was allowed to flop over the line from a good six inches out.

With McAlister's successful conversion, things were beginning to look bleak for Ireland but just like last week's test, they showed impressive resolve to hang on in there with meagre possession. From one such moment with the ball in hand, Stringer tapped quick, Gordon D'Arcy took it up and O'Connell busted through Kelleher. They thought he was tackled but as the ruck failed to form, the secondrow simply stood up and ran over the line untouched from 10 yards.

O'Gara converted and although McAlister knocked over his second penalty of the game on 38 minutes, it was Ireland who had the last word in the half. This time they were the ones using the Munster maul. As we've said, they showed admirable ambition in turning down a certain three pointer for a kick to the corner and at the second attempt, following Donncha O'Callaghan's take, the maul formed as planned and Jerry Flannery, at the tail of it all, was credited with the try.

O'Gara's convert left Ireland 20-14 down at the break, a more than satisfactory gap for the visitors, and with McAlister missing a tough kick from an angle on the right, the Irish out-half kicked his side to within three points of the All Blacks after Flavell was adjudged to have tackled O'Driscoll high. From there the game pretty much disintegrated into an error fest, and while some of what went on was wholly excusable in the conditions, some of it was just plain sloppy.

As it was, though, the All Blacks were that bit more ruthless when they were afforded an opportunity.

They put Ireland under heavy pressure in a couple of scrums deep inside the 22 and when the ball was finally shifted left, McAlister ran straight and hard at O'Gara and the Munster man couldn't take him down. He skipped over the line and added the conversion for good measure.

For the second week in a row the little things had made all the difference.

SCORING SEQUENCE 6 mins Kelleher try, McAlister con 7-0 25 mins McAlister pen, 10-0 30 mins Dermody try, McAlister con 17-0 35 mins O'Connell try, O'Gara con 17-7 38 mins McAlister pen, 20-7 40+3 mins Flannery try, O'Gara con 20-14 52 mins O'Gara pen, 20-17 73 mins McAlister try and con, 27-17