IT was nothing and it was everything. As Sonny Bill Williams threatened to announce his introduction into combat with the trademark offload that destroyed Scotland the week before, in the 60th minute Brian O’Driscoll advanced and retreated like one of Muhammad Ali’s extended exocet jabs to cut off the supply line.

It was a moment, a flicker of movement that passed without commentary or identification.

It was the act of a man who understands the game, making an instant move based on experience and intuition. Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll is increasingly becoming indispensable as much for what he does without the ball as for what he does with it.

He is gloriously genius in the unseen and the undetected. It is the details of his game that draws awe and admiration from all corners of the globe. Let it be noted. Whatever the naked eye surveys live, the microscopic post-match video analysis reveals the totality of his influence.

It is no small thing to describe O’Driscoll’s perfect pick-up and hurtling low-slung body position for 10 metres – his shoulders never rose above his hips in what was closer to the optimum scrummaging position. It was the best try he has ever scored out of a record-holding 41 for his country and second only to that which shattered Australia for the 2001 British & Irish Lions.

The living legend plays with the gambling attitude of a high stakes poker player in the outside channel, charged with picking out the when and how of shooting out of Ireland’s defensive line to extinguish opposition attacks.

Okay, he was sweetly stepped by Ma’a Nonu, a human wrecking ball, in the 44th minute in an attempt to double up in the tackle with Gordon D’Arcy for what would eventually lead to the first of two Kieran Read tries for New Zealand.

Even then, he took the gamble many metres from the danger zone and it was Luke Fitzgerald’s decision to assist Stephen Ferris in handling Jerome Kaino’s fend that left Read unattended.

Ultimately, Ireland recovered form and finesse in what was their best performance since the Six Nations win at Twickenham last February. It still wasn’t good enough for Ireland’s captain.

“You look at results essentially. We had about a 12-minute period two minutes before half-time and 10 minutes after it where we conceded 21 points,” reacted O’Driscoll.

“You just can’t do that against a quality outfit like the All Blacks. They will punish any lapses in your defence. That cost us. Look at the scoreline – we still lost by 20-odd.” Jonathan Sexton is quickly growing into a leadership role for his country. The Ireland fly-half went blow-for-blow with Dan Carter until the sheer burden of possession proved too much.

“At times, we had them under pressure and we just couldn’t hold onto the ball,” said Sexton. “When you cough up possession to them, they keep it for the next 10 minutes. You have to work damn hard to get it back.”

The weight of contact took its toll on the Irish – they made 130 tackles to New Zealand’s 75 – as hooker Rory Best and wing Luke Fitzgerald have been sidelined for six weeks each with O’Driscoll, Robert Kearney and Tommy Bowe yet to discover their exact fate.

It is a casualty list that brings pain to the Heineken Cup planning of Leinster coach Joe Schmidt. The bulk of his three-quarter line is either out of commission or in injury limbo land.

Ireland coach Declan Kidney must give Leinster tight-head Mike Ross, lock Devin Toner and openside Sean O’Brien, Munster’s Keith Earls and Leicester Tiger Geordan Murphy the game time their credentials and form demand against Argentina back at the Aviva Stadium next Sunday.

Des Berry