Andy Farrell admitted Ireland have a lot to work to do following their 26-13 Solider Field defeat to New Zealand.
Ireland led for most of the game, despite playing for 20 minutes with 14 players after Tadhg Beirne was sent off, but wilted in the final quarter, with the concession of three late tries proving their downfall.
The first of those came after Ireland lost the ball on the All Blacks 22 and then conceded two penalties in succession.
"The swing there in the second half, with all the pressure we had we played some decent rugby and pressure rugby, but we couldn't convert it into points," the head coach told Virgin Media.
"Before we know it, we turn around and the ball is in behind us, a penalty into the corner, it’s small margins, which is top-line rugby and backed up a few errors on the back of that and the game went away from us.
"Congratulations to New Zealand.
"Yeah, there’s a lot in that to digest for us, this autumn is pretty important so we need to learn quickly and dust ourselves down and step into next week."
Ireland’s lineout malfunctioned, they gave up a number of scrum penalties and they struggled at the breakdown.
Giving up so many chances to the world number two side was always going to come back to haunt them.
"Exactly, that’s what good teams do," Farrell (above) added.
"When you are off there and you are giving them access they’ll take that access.
"It doesn’t matter what type of territory you get, if you miss a moment they hit you on the break and that’s what happened.
"I don’t think [fitness] was the issue.
"I said about mental sharpness, that was more of it.
"The fitness was pretty good. The subs came on and did a decent job there anyway, that wasn’t a problem.
"You switch off for a second and give them access, that’s what they do to you."
On Beirne's fourth-minute red card, which was upgraded from yellow after a bunker review, Farrell said: "I am all for the safest way forward for this sport but if you look at it in real time, I don't know how it was transformed to [red].
"The only way to look at it is real time and to me it was a forward pass in the first place."
Ireland return to Dublin to host Japan, Australia, who lost to England today, and South Africa, who scored nine tries against Japan earlier.
Farrell said: "We have to [improve], these next couple of games are absolutely huge for us, points for the world rankings are concerned etc.
"So we need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves after tonight and get back on the horse against Japan next week."
