KEY POINTS:
Backs coach Wayne Smith thought Ma'a Nonu played his best game in the All Black jersey at Croke Park.
Nonu, who has been involved in all 13 tests the All Blacks have played this season, was a handful for the Irish. He rated his work alongside the test in South Africa and the Bledisloe Cup decider in Brisbane.
"Especially playing away is always hard, it is a matter of coping with that pressure," he said. "I couldn't hear much of what was going on and you could see that in the lineouts with Ali Williams trying to listen out for the calls, so it was pretty tough."
The backline had been functional, they had used their opportunities and that display would be a strong base for the remaining test matches ahead against Wales and England.
Some of the mistakes from both sides could be attributed to the intensity of the occasion and both defensive systems. It was an historic chance to play at Croke Park and both teams felt some of the pressure playing in front of such a huge crowd on such an auspicious occasion.
It had been a tougher intensity than Murrayfield last week.
Nonu offered his "it wasn't too bad" shrug of the shoulders comment when asked if he concurred with his backline coach's appraisal of his work.
"I thought I could have worked a bit harder and taken some other options better but that comes with learning," he said. "It wasn't too bad."
He never considered it weird how the All Blacks scored their tries in a flurry, he was only concerned about getting the right result so the Grand Slam quest could continue.
