Wynne Gray: All Blacks uneasy in tense encounter

It was a difficult delivery for the All Blacks, an uneasy birth to the latest international programme.

Contractions started at the lineout against Ireland and worked through much of the side's work - there was a restless tension about their play which scarcely dissipated.

Whatever the dramas though, the All Blacks protected an invincible 101 years of history against Ireland with their 34-23 victory at Waikato Stadium.

The Irish had talked themselves up but eventually talked themselves out of a famous victory.

Deep in New Zealand territory with a slender lead late in the game, Irish dissent turned a scrum into a penalty against them. From there the All Blacks worked downfield for Luke McAlister to goal and set up the reprieve for the men in black.

There was a pervasive tension, yet it was a tough game to watch, a difficult match to assess because of the consistent mistakes from both sides and the rapid changes in fortune.

Almost before the anthems had finished, Doug Howlett plunged in at the corner to complete an 80m All Black strike after Mils Muliaina had breached some flimsy tackles.

If there was fear in the Irish camp it did not show. They replied with an all-too-easy try to skipper Brian O'Driscoll when he skirted past Ma'a Nonu who was caught out of position.

A dire start became a 16-8 lead to the Irish at halftime, but they ran out of ideas, energy and possession. They may not get a better chance for some time.

The All Blacks lacked lineout cohesion, their dual openside flanker experiment misfired, the pack's momentum was fitful and there was a fragility about the backs' combination.

It was all a little frenetic and they still won. It was a close squeak, but as a measure of the hemispheres' prowess, there is still a sizeable gap.

Double the ruck and maul possession took its toll, the Irish conceded more penalties as fatigue set in and their resistance ebbed.

"I think we deserved to win the game, we used the ball more," All Black coach Graham Henry said.

It was hard to argue. There was a great deal of endeavour from the All Blacks, but they also accepted they had operated below their usual efficiency.

They were too shrewd to acknowledge they had more to enhance than the Irish, but that thought must have percolated through the camp.

An absence of consistent forward clout negated the concept of the Richie McCaw/Marty Holah twin rover roles, although the idea always looked as though it would blunt their expertise.

Intrigue will surround the selectors' response this week and whether they will return to a more traditional loose forward arrangement.

Irish loosies Denis Leamy, David Wallace and Neil Best got some latitude in the first half, especially Best's questionable charge on Byron Kelleher which removed the dazed All Black halfback.

There was little doubt about the All Blacks' scrum supremacy, although they struggled to convince referee Stu Dickinson that their methods were always legitimate.

Perplexed assistant coach Steve Hansen was left to wonder at some of the archaic set piece rulings.

He had more to ponder about the lineouts where the Irish cut down the space and pressured Keven Mealamu's delivery to his jumpers.

McAlister was very good and also middling. His goalkicking was crucial, but there was a fretful edge to some of his play, a characteristic shared by others.

That was balanced by the aplomb of Aaron Mauger, Muliaina and Doug Howlett, a self-assurance which consigned the Irish to another delay in their quest for glory.