Eoin Reddan had an impressive season with Wasps

Ireland scrum-half Eoin Reddan insists a strong performance against New Zealand in Saturday's Wellington Test would be no substitute for victory.

Ireland have never beaten the All Blacks in 20 attempts although the Irish went close in the two games in New Zealand in 2006.

"Everything is based on winning and losing," said Wasps scrum-half Reddan.

"We've got a team of players who win things, and enjoy winning things - and that's what they judge themselves on."

The 27-year-old is on his first trip to New Zealand, after missing the tour two years ago because of a groin injury.

Ireland came close in Hamilton and Auckland to ending their run of defeats back then, coming unstuck only in the final 10 minutes of both those games, losing them 34-23 and 27-17.

Fresh from a Guinness Premiership-winning campaign, livewire half-back Reddan is targeting victory against a new-look All Blacks side on Saturday.

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"Performance is a measure of success, but there is no measure of success like winning," he said.

"That's why the trophies and the leagues are there in the first place; otherwise they would have a judging panel who could say who had played the best rugby at the end of the year."

Despite the transitional period the All Blacks are going through following the departure of a host of players - including world-class performers like prop Carl Hayman, lock Chris Jack and centre Luke McAlister - the public perception is that the hosts' winning trend is likely to continue.

However after a dismal World Cup and poor Six Nations, Irish rugby has been buoyed by Munster and Leinster's success in the Heineken Cup and Magners League respectively.

That is reflected in Saturday's starting line-up, which includes seven members of the Munster pack and four of number eight Jamie Heaslip's Leinster team-mates in the back line.

Reddan adds: "We've got a team full of individual belief, and it's about getting a collective belief now.

"I've played more than 30 competitive games this year - all of them high level and most of them must-win games - and as a half-back, it's key to your development as a player and to your form."