Last week, in my conclusion, I used a quote from George Bernard Shaw to speculate that it might be possible that Ireland could do more than just dream about beating the All Blacks.

As it transpired, that dream turned out to be a nightmare and I feel obliged to start this week by acknowledging my misguided optimism through another great Irish writer, Oscar Wilde, who said: “experience is the name we give our mistakes”.

I got thoroughly carried away, as I think everyone did, with the idea of a fresh start and new possibilities for Irish rugby under a new coaching regime. Sadly, it was reminiscent of the bad performances that supporters got only too familiar with in the death throes of Eddie O’Sullivan’s reign. I can only put it down to experience and try in future not to get too divorced from the reality of world rugby.

However, the experience must have been the most chastening for the Irish players themselves. In a pre-match interview, Irish wing, Tommy Bowe said the game would be a good test to see how far the team had come. Instead, it was a stark statement to Declan Kidney about where the team currently is and the challenge that he has ahead of him.

The odds were always against Ireland, but it was the manner of defeat, the manner of performance that was so disappointing. Rugby, for all the complications of its patterns and structures, is based on stern principles. In every facet of the game, Ireland were outplayed, but fundamentally, New Zealand hit the ground with a ferocity and intensity that Ireland simply could neither cope nor compete with.

Last Friday night I attended a dinner, at which the ex-New Zealand captain, Sean Fitzpatrick, was guest speaker. His insight into the mindset of an All Black and the standards expected of those who pull on the black jersey gave a new clarity to their performance the next day. In short, the legendary hooker stated that it was all about winning. Playing well and coming second was unacceptable – to win is what matters – and the only way to emulate those who have gone before is through winning again and again.

This stubborn, hard-nosed approach shone through New Zealand’s performance at Croke Park. They didn’t even play that well and for much of the game never really hit top gear, but they took the pitch and started as if their lives depended on it, with a winner’s mentality, and Ireland got sucked in and spat out like a team that was only ever going to come second.

The scoreboard towards the end of the first half tried to trick us that it was all still possible despite the difference in the two sides, but the penalty try and Tommy Bowe’s yellow card shut the gate. The incident had us all talking. From my point of view, there has been precious little credit given to Tommy for actually getting there at all, but his intentional flick of the ball deserved ten minutes in the bin.

Whether or not the try would have been scored had the Irish wing not intervened in this way is a far more moot point. Tommy was closer to the ball than Richie McCaw and by diving on it he may well have legitimately stopped the All Black captain from scoring. The existence of this second option makes me think that the try was not a certainty – in my opinion, the penalty try was a harsh call.

Ireland’s task this Saturday against Argentina looks ominous, even in the absence of captain, Felipe Contepomi. The eighth best team in the world against the fourth best, and massive pressure heaped on both teams to maintain these ratings prior to the announcement, on December 1, of the seedings for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The two tier method of last week’s selection backfired, because the starting XV did not perform. I would definitely give Rob Kearney a go at fullback to repel the Pumas’ version of Maradona, Juan Martin Hernandez, and return Eoin Reddan to the scrumhalf berth. Stephen Ferris surely has to start at the expense of Alan Quinlan, while it wouldn’t surprise me if Shane Horgan turned up on the wing with Keith Earls to be sprung from the bench.

Very often you can learn more from a negative experience and there is much that Ireland can glean from last Saturday. More than anything else, the players need to take a lead from the All Blacks in terms of that winning mentality. We can talk about the performance afterwards, but against Argentina coming first is all that counts.