Connacht's Gavin Duffy played at outside centre but there was no luck for the Irish as they went down 31-28 to New Zealand Maori at Rotorua Internaitonal Stadium on Friday.

Jonathan Sexton kicked 23 points and Paddy Wallace grabbed a well-taken try but the concession of three tries proved costly for Ireland as New Zealand Maori edged them out at Rotorua International Stadium.

Scorers: New Zealand Maori: Tries: Hosea Gear, Dwayne Sweeney, Karl Lowe; Cons: Luke McAlister, Willie Ripia; Pens: Luke McAlister 3, Willie Ripia
Ireland XV: Try: Paddy Wallace; Con: Jonathan Sexton; Pens: Jonathan Sexton 7


TIME LINE: 3 minutes - New Zealand Maori penalty: Luke McAlister - 3-0; 5 mins - New Zealand Maori try: Hosea Gear - 8-0; conversion: missed by Luke McAlister - 8-0; 13 mins - New Zealand Maori try: Dwayne Sweeney - 13-0; conversion: Luke McAlister - 15-0; 17 mins - Ireland penalty: Jonathan Sexton - 15-3; 20 mins - New Zealand Maori penalty: Luke McAlister - 18-3; 28 mins - Ireland penalty: Jonathan Sexton - 18-6; 31 mins - Ireland penalty: Jonathan Sexton - 18-9; 33 mins - Ireland penalty: Jonathan Sexton - 18-12; 36 mins - Ireland penalty: Jonathan Sexton - 18-15; 40 mins - Ireland penalty: Jonathan Sexton - 18-18; Half-time - New Zealand Maori 18 Ireland 18; 41 mins - Ireland try: Paddy Wallace - 18-23; conversion: Jonathan Sexton - 18-25; 48 mins - New Zealand Maori penalty: Luke McAlister - 21-25; 51 mins - New Zealand Maori penalty: missed by Luke McAlister - 21-25; 59 mins - New Zealand penalty: missed by Luke McAlister - 21-25; 63 mins - New Zealand Maori try: Karl Lowe - 26-25; conversion: Willie Ripia - 28-25; 68 mins - Ireland penalty: Jonathan Sexton - 28-28; 73 mins - New Zealand Maori penalty: Willie Ripia - 31-28; 75 mins - Ireland penalty: missed by Jonathan Sexton - 31-28; Full-time - New Zealand Maori 31 Ireland 28

NEW ZEALAND MAORI: Robbie Robinson; Sean Maitland, Dwayne Sweeney, Luke McAlister, Hosea Gear; Stephen Brett, Aaron Smith; Bronson Murray, Corey Flynn, Ben Afeaki, Hayden Triggs, Jarrad Hoeata, Liam Messam (capt), Tanerau Latimer, Colin Bourke.

Replacements used: Dane Coles for Flynn, Karl Lowe for Latimer (both 54 mins), Ruki Tipuna for Smith (59), Willie Ripia for Brett (62), Romana Graham for Hoeata (65), Clint Newlands for Murray (71). Not used: Jackson Willison.

IRELAND XV: Geordan Murphy (capt); Shane Horgan, Gavin Duffy, Paddy Wallace, Johne Murphy; Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan; Marcus Horan, John Fogarty, Tom Court, Ed O'Donoghue, Dan Tuohy, Rhys Ruddock, Niall Ronan, Chris Henry.

Replacements used: John Hayes for Court (half-time), Rob Kearney for J Murphy (54-55, blood sub), Damien Varley for Fogarty (60), Peter Stringer for Reddan (62), David Wallace for Henry, Donncha O'Callaghan for Tuohy (both 65), Rob Kearney for Horgan (73). Not used: Ronan O'Gara.

Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)