Farrell making no excuses after Ireland 'A' outclassed

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell says it's up to his 'A' players to make sure they learn from defeat, after they were beaten 47-19 by a ruthless All Blacks XV at the RDS.

The New Zealanders dominated from start to finish, led by the class of out-half Damien McKenzie, scoring seven tries in a comprehensive win.

A large portion of the squad only came together this week following the Round 7 URC games, but their opponents had just as limited preparation time, with some having been with the main All Black squad in Japan last week.

The tourists looked far more cohesive than the hosts in attack, and Farrell says they have "no excuses".

"The standard of the opposition was top drawer and it's great that it was that way because it's all about the experience and the only thing that matters in this experience that we faced tonight is the learnings from it," he said.

"I’ve just said to the lads that it’s what they make of this now. It’s what they make of the performance itself and how you break it down and how you take it back to your daily lives, whether you adjust things and see where you are really at.

"In that regard you want them to feel a completely different experience and they certainly got that tonight."

It was put to the Ireland coach that the New Zealand performance came as a result of his own side "poking the bear" in their successful tour during the summer.

And he says in spite of the seven-try defeat, it was a valuable learning experience for both the players and coaches.

"We still learn and know what we're at. And it’s priceless for us as coaches to see how these lads deal with the week, deal with the pressure, deal with the anxiety of coming together and not just taking the field against quality opposition, but how they