New Zealand 21-11 Ireland

606: DEBATE Your views on New Zealand v Ireland

By Phil Harlow

1023: A shivering Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll: "It was a difficult game of rugby. We lasted 60 minutes, but we couldn't finish it off.

"We had to chase after the (Ma's Nonu) try, and when you chase that's when the All Blacks open you up."

1019: New Zealand captain Richie McCaw: "I haven't played in conditions as bad as this for a while. It was a tough match but that was what we were expecting.

"We took the opportunities in the second half, but it was really tough to look after the ball."

FULL-TIME: New Zealand 21-11 Ireland
The final whistle goes at the Westpac Stadium, and it's the All Blacks who continue their 103-year winning run against Ireland.

Ireland can be pretty proud with their display, but at the same time, they had a genuine opportunity in this match and let it slip.

79 mins: Ireland win the line-out, but New Zealand hit back to defend their line.

77 mins: Ireland are finishing the game on the front foot, but the All Blacks defence is solid so far. Peter Stringer is doing his best to add some spark at scrum-half since coming on from the bench.

Ireland win a penalty deep in New Zealand's 22 and kick to the corner for a line-out from 5m. But the clock is really against them now.

73 mins: New Zealand's pack is just so powerful off the back of the ruck, going through phase after phase. Ireland eventually turn it over, but they are being forced to run it from all over the pitch and in this weather, mistakes are almost inevitable.

72 mins: The calls are going against Ireland now as they are penalised for hands in the ruck in a promising position. New Zealand are looking stronger by the minute.

67 mins: Ireland have the chance to close the gap to seven after some sheer hard work sees them win a penalty in front of the posts about 35m out.

But Ronan O'Gara, usually so reliable for Munster and Ireland, leaves his effort about two feet short and it ends up just under the crossbar.

61 mins: TRY & CONVERSION New Zealand 21-11 Ireland
Fair play to Dan Carter. He has had a quiet game, interspersed with some poor errors, but a moment of sheer class sees him dance past three tacklers and glide up the pitch.

A couple of phases later, prop John Schwalger offloads in the tackle and the powerful Ma'a Nonu bursts onto the ball and goes through a couple of tackles to slide over the line under the posts.

Carter makes the conversion to put the All Blacks 10 points clear.

58 mins: PEN New Zealand 14-11 Ireland
Crazy play from Marcus Horan as he smashes a prone New Zealand player in the face at the ruck. Ireland had been awarded the scrum, but Horan loses his rag with something that has gone on at the breakdown.

It's a potentially massive turning point, and Dan Carter steps up to knock over the penalty. Can Ireland come back from this?

55 mins: Ireland's line-out is still stuttering. A decent attacking opportunity comes and goes as yet another throw goes astray.

52 mins: A real nervous moment for Rob Kearney as he lets a teasing kick from Dan Carter bounce into the in-goal area. He is hoping for it to go into touch and decides to leave it, but he is millimetres away from gifting a try to Sitiveni Sivivatu.

The touchline wins the race though, to Ireland's relief.

50 mins: A superb series of forward drives from New Zealand, with Rodney So'olialo and Brad Thorn doing brilliantly, take them into Ireland's 22.

48 mins: Dan Carter chips through intelligently and stretches Shane Horgan in defence, but the Ireland winger just clings on to the ball at the second attempt.

44 mins: PEN New Zealand 11-11 Ireland
An instant riposte from New Zealand as Dan Carter slots a penalty of his own to level the scores. Ireland are under pressure in the rucks, with New Zealand's familiar intensity testing out their fitness.

42 mins: PEN New Zealand 8-11 Ireland
Ireland take the lead again after New Zealand are penalised for pulling down the maul. That's fine under the ELVs, but not under the "old" rules that this Test is being played under.

Ronan O'Gara nails the kick from about 16m out. But no kick is easy in this rain though.

41 mins: We're off again in Wellington and there's mistakes from both sides in the opening few seconds. Eoin Reddan is charged down as he tries to clear, but the ball bounces Ireland's way with Rob Kearney cleaning up.

Dan Carter's problems continue as his attempted touch finder a few phases later goes straight into Reddan's hands. He looks a shadow of his previous self at the moment.

0925: "The worst player on the pitch? Dan Carter. What a shocker he's having. Bet the NZRU is urgently reviewing that sabbatical they've given him..."
SouthSeaIslander on 606

0921: "Come on Ireland! You've got this! Sort the line-out, keep those high balls coming, I love seeing Ireland playing like this again, doing the northern hemisphere proud here."
furiousJimbo1 on 606

HALF-TIME: New Zealand 8-8 Ireland
Shane Horgan's blunder ends up unpunished as the players jog off for the half-time break with the Test right in the balance.

The line-out is a real concern for Ireland, with the All Blacks snatching three or four throws already. But in most other facets, Ireland are more than holding their own.

39 mins: A shocker from Shane Horgan as he spills the simplest of high balls under no pressure. He's on the 10m line inside the Kiwi half and will be desperately hoping his mistake is far enough upfield that it won't cost his side before half-time.

36 mins: Ronan O'Gara attempts a little grubber kick deep in his own half, but the ball flicks an All Black boot to put his side in trouble.

33 mins: PEN New Zealand 8-8 Ireland
New Zealand pull level through Dan Carter's penalty after coming so close to crossing the tryline.

The forwards are inches away from the line, but some heroic Irish defending - with Paul O'Connell and David Wallace to the fore - just about keeps them out. Ireland will probably be happy enough to get away with just the three points, to be fair.

30 mins: The line-out goes New Zealand's way through, as Rodney So'oialo claims it in the air. Dangerous times for Ireland.

29 mins: A tapped-back line-out from Paul O'Connell puts Eoin Reddan in trouble, and although the scrum-half takes the right option by not shipping the ball on, he finds himself turned over.

Dan Carter slides a testing kick in behind the Ireland defence, but Rob Kearney deals with it well and gets the added bonus of a deflection of Sitiveni Sivivatu with his clearance kick to give Ireland the throw-in.

25 mins: Dan Carter looks a little off his game so far, and he misses with a long-range penalty, his effort falling two or three metres short of the target.

0900: "The weather isn't great but you got to say that The All Blacks are looking very vulnerable in defence and Ireland will grow in confidence the longer this goes on."
Hot-Bovril-Again on 606

22 mins: TRY New Zealand 5-8 Ireland
Ireland make their possession count as stand-in centre Paddy Wallace crosses for the try.

The forwards very nearly mess up the position in the shadow of the posts, and scrum-half Eoin Reddan decides to go down the shortside. Ireland spot a two-on-one overlap and Wallace has too much pace for Ali Williams.

But Ronan O'Gara just pushes the conversion wide.

20 mins: Ireland are dominating territory and possession deep in the All Black 22, but the home side are defending for all they are worth. Can Ireland find a breakthrough?

17 mins: A terrible schoolboy error from the All Blacks at the restart as three players all leave the ball to each other. It bounces - one of rugby union's cardinal sins - and Ireland power through to force the scrum.

14 mins: TRY New Zealand 5-3 Ireland
New Zealand have not done much so far, but they switch on the class at a moment's notice with a classic try from the prolific Sitiventi Sivivatu.

The try is created from a brilliant break from centre Conrad Smith, who outwits the usually rock-solid Brian O'Driscoll to glide through before releasing his high-class winger to score in the corner. Dan Carter misses with the tricky conversion though.

10 mins: Ireland seem to be growing in confidence after their shaky start, with Rob Kearney showing real assurance at full-back.

8 mins: PEN New Zealand 0-3 Ireland
Ireland take a deserved lead through Ronan O'Gara's penalty from about 25m out. It's not a night for the goalkickers, so every point will count.

6 mins: Ireland take full advantage of the New Zealand error, winning the penalty and sweeping up the field. Tommy Bowe comes within inches of opening up the scoring after a charge down sees the ball balloon up in the air.

But the ball just clips the corner flag before Bowe dots it down. Still, encouraging signs for Ireland on a filthy night in Wellington.

5 mins: The try looks there for the taking for the All Blacks, after their forwards go through phase after powerful phase. But when the ball is spread out to the backs, centre Ma'a Nonu knocks on with his first touch and David Wallace gratefully intercepts.

4 mins: New Zealand look in ominous form, despite the number of relatively unfamiliar names in their line-up. A Tommy Bowe mistake with the boot hands them a juicy line-out throw-in inside Ireland's 22.

2 mins: A worrying start for Ireland as they are turned over on halfway on one of the very first occasions they take the ball into contact. They will not want to make a habit of that.

0835: Morning all, we're just about ready to go in Wellington after a reasonably fearsome Haka. It's absolutely chucking it down at the Westpac Stadium, by the way.

Here's a quick reminder of the teams:

Ireland: R Kearney, S Horgan, Brian O'Driscoll (cpt), P Wallace, T Bowe, R O'Gara, E Reddan, J Heaslip, D Wallace, D Leamy, D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell, J Hayes, J Flannery, M Horan.
Replacements: G Dempsey, G Murphy, P Stringer, S Jennings, M O'Driscoll, T Buckley, R Best.

New Zealand: M Muliaina, A Tuitavake, C Smith, M Nonu, S Sivivatu, D Carter, A Ellis, J Kaino, R McCaw (cpt), R So'oialo, A Williams, B Thorn, J Afoa, A Hore, N Tialata.
Replacements: K Mealamu, J Schwalger, A Boric, A Thomson, J Cowan, S Donald, L MacDonald.