Rona O'Gara missed three penalties as Ireland came agonisingly close to recording their first win against the mighty All Blacks. The Irish stand-off finished the game on the bench and was left to reflect on a hat-trick of failures that allowed an unconvincing New Zealand to cling onto victory in Dunedin.

Doug Howlett grabbed the opening try of the game for the home side six minutes before half-time, but Ireland refused to buckle, and only Leon MacDonald's late effort after a powerful burst from replacement Jonah Lomu ensured the expected home win.

It was tough luck on the Irish, who showed plenty of fire in the opening stages, forcing the All Blacks into a series of uncharacteristic mistakes that prevented them gaining any momentum.

Brian O'Driscoll was his usual mercurial self and put the visitors in front with an early snap drop goal. Andrew Mehrtens quickly drew the All Blacks level with a penalty, but the expected onslaught failed to materialise as Ireland, led magnificently by Keith Wood, met their much-vaunted opponents with some ferocious tackling.

Nevertheless, Mehrtens' blind-side dart set Howlett clear for that opening try and he landed the conversion. But O'Gara missed a penalty in injury time.

Ireland continued to force the pace after the break. O'Driscoll's huge crossfield kick almost brought a try, but Geordan Murphy couldn't quite ground the ball in-goal.

O'Gara missed another penalty, before he finally found his range from 20 metres. But he was to miss another before he was substituted. The stage was thus set for Lomu's arrival, and MacDonald duly took his cue to punish O'Gara's profligacy.

New Zealand: MacDonald; Howlett (Lomu 68), Umaga (Gibson 56), Mauger, Ralph; Mehrtens, Marshall; Hewett (McDonnell 64), Hammett, Somerville, Jack, Maxwell, Thorne (capt), McCaw, Robertson.

Ireland: Dempsey; Murphy, O'Driscoll, Kelly, Bishop; O'Gara (Humphreys 70), Stringer; Corrigan, Wood (capt), Hayes, Longwell, O'Connell (O'Kelly 58), Easterby, Gleeson, Foley.

Referee: J Jutge (France).