Interim coach Ian Costello takes pride in Munster fight after defeat to All Blacks XV

Munster interim head coach Ian Costello says his team can hold their heads high after falling narrowly short of a famous win against an All Blacks XV at Thomond Park.

While the tourists won 38-24 in a thrilling game in Limerick, Clayton McMillan's side scored two breakaway tries in the final four minutes which made the scoreline unreflective of the game as a whole, with Munster having been within two points of the New Zealanders on 75 minutes.

The sudden departure of head coach Graham Rowntree had threatened to overshadow what was the tenth meeting of Munster and an All Blacks representative team, but the home side looked determined to put on a show for a crowd of 26,267 in Limerick.

And while Costello admits his side were devastated to come out the wrong side of the result, they will take huge encouragement from the attitude and performance.

"It's really strange because we're gutted. At 76 minutes it was right there for us to make history, but it's hard to stay gutted for long when you get a performance like that," the interim head coach (below) said.

"The scoreboard is kind of irrelevant. You won't hear us say that too often. Tonight was about the performance.

"We had a lineout on the halfway line with five minutes to go, we lose the lineout, they score, they're a clinical side. But tonight's not about them, it's about us pulling together as a club this week.

"It was an incredible occasion. We had prepared for it, we talked about it, you think you know what to expect and then you come to a full Thomond Park and give the crowd something to identify with like that and get involved in. It was incredible.

"I think we talked about playing the occasion, the lads talked about playing with freedom, and we really wanted to enjoy it.

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