A giddy thought but Farrell's Ireland are nowhere near their ceiling

The beauty of this Irish performance was that some big moments continued to go against them. This was by no means perfect but they stuck at it

JOYS IN GREEN: Jack Conan celebrates the 29-20 win over New Zealand at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Pic: Brendan Moran, Sportsfile

Andy Farrell had served warning.

The Ireland head coach had met the All Blacks in battle enough times to know that the margins are razor-thin against the world’s best. Whether claiming every point possible or nailing every defensive set, the mantra remained the same.