No Joy For Ireland in Eden

Another mighty irish effort came up just short in rain sodden Eden Park, when a 71st minute Luke McAllister try gave the All Blacks a 27-17 victory over a gallant touring side.

Another mighty irish effort came up just short in rain sodden Eden Park, when a 71st minute Luke McAllister try gave the All Blacks a 27-17 victory over a gallant touring side.

That try came at a stage when the home side held a slender 20-17 lead in an end game that could have seen the result go either way.

Ireland came from being 17 nil and 20-7 behind to go in at half time trailing by just six points after Paul O’Connell and then Jerry Flannery had crossed the New Zealand line. One of those first half tries, from Clarke Dermody should never have been allowed a it appeared that Chris Jack had knocked on moments earlier. That said however, minutes earlier Byron Kelleher should have scored his second try when he failed to finish his own break looking for an inside runner with the line at his mercy.