On leaving Lansdowne Road on Saturday, it occurred to me that the changes resulting from professionalism are even more dramatic than I had anticipated. For better or for worse depends on your point of view.

This was not like any of the previous games against touring teams. A very large section of the capacity crowd, unusual in itself for visiting teams, was there to witness the performance of the All Blacks about whom so much had, justifiably, been said and written.

The pre-match realism, as opposed to the hopeful expectation of previous occasions, meant that there was absolutely no sense of disappointment from the crowd after the match had ended. Everybody accepted that the Irish team gave their all, but, at the end of the day, they were well beaten by a vastly superior team of superstars.

Before the game, the bookmakers would, surely, have given decent odds on Ireland leading after 30 minutes and even longer odds on the try count being two to one in Ireland's favour and yet that is what happened.

The usual fighting spirit was matched by discipline and organisation during that period. The first Irish try from the lineout was probably the best piece of decision-making by the side for some years.

Eric Elwood had no hesitation in opting for the lineout, even though the kick for goal was not a difficult one for him. The decision to go for the second lineout, rather than the try, after the All Blacks gave away the penalty, meant that the Kiwis risked a penalty try if they fouled again in the same position. I am sure that the coach had also realistically realised before the match that lineouts near the All Black line would present out best tryscoring opportunities against such a superb defence.

As long as we stayed within one score of the opposition, we would have been able to upset their pattern. When Kieran Dawson bought All Black captain Justin Marshall's dummy just before half-time, resulting in a try, it gave them too much space (27-15).

Right from the start of the second half, the All Blacks changed their tactics. Into the freshening wind, they carried the ball in the hand, driving relentlessly at the opposition. Now we saw the real difference between the teams. It was taking two or more Irish players to stop the ball carrier, leaving the All Blacks with greater numbers outside.

We also began to see the facility with which their backs and forwards could interchange roles. In contrast, when we tried to do the same thing, they were far more comfortable in a one-to-one situation and always had extra defenders if needed.

When analysing the differences between rugby teams in the past, one started with the scrums and the lineouts, not so anymore. On Saturday, the lineouts were so even as to be irrelevant and the scrums only mattered to the extent that the All Blacks were able to promote whichever side of the scrum that was required by their attack or defence. Although their five-yard scrum late in the match did not result in a push-over, it led directly to Wilson's try by drawing in the Irish defence. The major difference between the teams was, quite simply, their superior strength and athleticism, allied to their greater technical ability, which is a result of the coaching they have got since they were children.

To single out any of the All Blacks would be an injustice because their success lies in their strength as a team. Their support for each other is phenomenal and allows players to take risks.

Nobody could deny having got value for money on Saturday and these guys have combined their role as professional entertainers with their role as custodians of one of the greatest rugby traditions in the world.

The Irish side tried valiantly. There is, undoubtedly, the basis of an excellent pack. Hopefully, Keith Wood's injury will not keep him out for too long because he is invaluable to the side. Our scrums and our lineouts will stand up to any opposition, but there is room for improvement in the loose and in running with the ball.

The major concern, however, is our backline. The new caps will have learned a lot from Saturday's experience. Conor McGuinness played very bravely, tackled superbly, but kicked away a lot of valuable ball.

John McWeeney never got a chance in attack and found himself with numbers against him in defence. Kevin Nowlan probably had the most pleasing afternoon of those backs making their debuts and made a number of brave interventions.

Irish rugby has always been dominated by concentration on the forwards. Look at the dominance of former forwards among the coaches. Under the new laws, the importance of the back line is greater than ever. It is in this area that improvement must be made in Irish rugby at every level.

The All Blacks showed on Saturday the level to which we must aspire.

Finally, I would suggest that Mr Tony Spreadbury, the referee, get himself a video of the game. I am not suggesting for one minute that his decisions impacted on the result, but he certainly had a lot of people disagreeing with him on many occasions.

The forthcoming internationals against Canada and Italy will give us a clearer indication of our standing in international rugby. Only South Africa, Australia and France could really give New Zealand a decent game at the moment and even against the pick of all three, my money would still be on the men in black.

In an interview with Sean Kilfeather)