It was terrible to watch and far from convincing but this was possibly the ideal result for the purposes of accelerating the healing process.
A hefty All Black win would have sugarcoated the problems in New Zealand rugby and made the catastrophic World Cup failure seem more palatable.
And a shock first Irish win would have intensified the bitterness that has seeped into the sport's core, and amplified the bleating that followed Graham Henry's reappointment and Robbie Deans' departure and has not let up for six months.
This way the All Blacks get to enjoy a victory and ease some of the pressure while still realising they have work to do, especially with England arriving for tests over the next two weeks.
The Henry critics will cease their posturing for a short while and the Deans acolytes will perhaps think again about whether they really want to prance around in an Australian jersey.
There is no need for a mass group hug and I'm not suggesting you should thump your chest or shed a tear at the fulsome new adidas adverts that waste 300 words on reminding us the All Black jersey is special.
It's just that a little bit of closure is a good thing.
And now is the time, reluctant though some may be, to move on.
The World Cup debacle still sticks in the craw, sure.
I was there, I saw what happened and I am the last person to suggest we should simply forgive and forget.
We should still query Graham Henry's selections and find his occasionally supercilious attitude distasteful.
But blow it, if we shouldn't also tuck away just a little bit of pride that the All Blacks gutsed it out in horrible conditions in Wellington, that an overhauled team playing its first test out-played a talented and experienced northern side that should be at its peak.
It's an odd mix now, this All Black team.
The established stars like Richie McCaw and Dan Carter are joined by the old (Brad Thorn), the new (Anthony Tuitavake and Adam Thomson) and the recycled (Jerome Kaino, Ma'a Nonu, John Afoa).
Because conditions were so poor - the worst I have experienced since the first Lions test in Christchurch three years ago - it is difficult to accurately assess the quality of the All Black performance.
Better to simply admire their composure and feel the relief that we can talk about something other than the World Cup.
The Irish have now tried and failed to beat the All Blacks 21 teams.
They have plenty of talent and loads of experience but they seem to lack any sort of belief.
That's why the All Blacks must be vigilant in the coming weeks.
England won't have high levels of self-doubt, and neither will the other Tri-Nations sides.
Star All Blacks: McCaw then daylight.
Perhaps that's unfair, though McCaw was in imperious form.
Loose forward colleague Rodney So'oialo churned out the work on the blind.
Conrad Smith looked lively at centre.
Thorn provided the steel to the pack.
Surprise package: Neemia Tialata.
From unfit and uninterested with the Hurricanes to 80min of strength, high workrate and playing both sides for the All Blacks.
Rookie watch: Tuitavake saw little action on the wing and was subbed shortly into the second half.
Thomson had two brief spells, put in one good tackle but was also denied many opportunities.
Room for improvement: Kaino looked a little hesitant at times but the bad weather didn't help.
Carter made several unusual errors with his boot.
Odd spot: It was revealed before kick-off that the All Blacks and Ireland would be competing for a new trophy, the Eurocargo Cup, named after a truck.
Not sure it will attain the status of the Bledisloe.
