Four tries, three in the second half, saved some face for a gallant Ireland side on what was a day to forget for Declan Kidney's men, particularly number 8 Jamie Heaslip who was dismissed in the 16th minute.

Amid a ferocious battle for possession near New Zealand's try-line, Wayne Barnes spotted Heaslip twice aiming a knee at the head of All Blacks captain Richie McCaw and the English official was left with little option but to brandish a red card.

Heaslip has been cited for striking and will appear before a disciplinary panel in New Plymouth on Sunday afternoon.

The incident left Ireland in serious trouble and a yellow card for out-half Ronan O'Gara, some nine minutes later, added to the tourists' woes.

Speaking afterwards, Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll said: "It certainly didn't help matters. It's difficult playing against the All Blacks with 15 players but when we lost Jamie and then Rog to the yellow, we were chasing shadows a bit. It was a tough period.

"I don't want to get into the fairness of them (the decisions). You've got to deal with these things and sometimes they're the cards you're dealt. You've got to suck it up.

"It was a bad defeat. But I'm ever positive and you've got to take the good things that you can out of every game. There were certainly some of those in the second half.

"I'm delighted that we were able to show a bit of bottle in the second half and play some good stuff."

New Zealand used their numerical advantage to build a 38-0 lead, with Conrad Smith, Kieran Read, debutant prop Ben Franks and Jimmy Cowan (2) helping themselves to tries, each converted by the in-form Dan Carter.

Ireland managed to hit back just before the break courtesy of a converted try from spritely replacement Tuohy, who came on for hamstring injury victim Mick O'Driscoll.

Tries from Brian O'Driscoll, Tommy Bowe and Gordon D'Arcy restored some pride for Ireland in the second period, although the All Blacks mercilessly took their own try tally to nine - Smith, Sam Whitelock (2) and Neemia Tialata finished off the rout.

Ireland's bad run of luck with injuries has clearly followed them Down Under, with the news that John Muldoon broke his right arm in the opening half.

Muldoon was brought to a local hospital with a suspected displaced fracture in his arm, and O'Driscoll's first cap since June 2009 was prematurely ended by back spasms which affected him down his hamstring.

Commenting on the Connacht captain's injury, Kidney said: "Our doctor has just gone to the hospital now to see what the best (course of action is), whether they should operate on it straight away or just buy 24 hours and see what to do.

"Micko's in a bit of discomfort at the moment. He's just quite sore. He was good going into (the match). Sometimes these things have a way of sorting themselves out again. The next 24 hours will tell that.

"We'll take a look at that (bringing a back row replacement in) because we just have the six back rows with us and we have a game (against the New Zealand Maori) in six days' time."

This will be a video nasty when the Irish camp reviews the match tape in the coming days, and Ireland's loss of discipline and shape was particularly frustrating for Kidney to watch.

"We had to work our way through it (the sending-off) the best we could, but I think we lost discipline in what we wanted to try to do when we were down a man. Our discipline in our defensive shape wasn't good," he said.

"We let ourselves down and we will have to take a good look at that.

"We were in a fairly dark place (after the first half). So, yes, I was pleased with the second half but I wouldn't be running away from the damage we did to ourselves in the first half."

23 meetings, 22 defeats and a draw. The All Blacks' visit to the Aviva Stadium in November cannot come quick enough.