Rugby-All Blacks have to be better at dealing with setbacks - Foster

A lot of that was due to pressure and trying to force things and trying to create space against what Ireland were doing." Foster said he was not going to be "grizzling" about the refereeing or the cards and said he hoped Saturday's experience would benefit some of the younger players heading into the series decider in Wellington next week. "I think it's a bit of an eye-opener, particularly for a few newer players," he said.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster said his side had to be better at dealing with setbacks after losing to Ireland on home soil for the first time on Saturday. Two yellow cards and the dismissal of prop Angus Ta'avao with Ireland leading 10-0 after little more than half an hour in Dunedin left New Zealand shorthanded as they chased the game.

"It's hard... but we've just got to be better than that," Foster told reporters. "You get test matches where things don't happen, you don't get the rub of the green. But we were our own worst enemy in that second half. We've got to be better.

"We've just got to trust ourselves and trust what we do, and ultimately back your own skill level. That's something we've got to go away and work hard on." Foster will come under renewed pressure after New Zealand's third loss in their last four tests going back to their tour of Europe last November.

"We've had a couple of starts that were substandard, which we're going to have to improve on," he added. "Trying to play catch-up with 14 men is never easy against a really well organised defensive team.

"But, you know, there was probably an unacceptable amount of errors, in terms of the handling stuff. A lot of that was due to pressure and trying to force things and trying to create space against what Ireland were doing." Foster said he was not going to be "grizzling" about the refereeing or the cards and said he hoped Saturday's experience would benefit some of the younger players heading into the series decider in Wellington next week.

"I think it's a bit of an eye-opener, particularly for a few newer players," he said. "To feel that sort of tension and pressure and trying to force things when you're a man down."

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