RBS 6 Nations: Conor O'Shea's Expert Analysis

by Conor O'Shea

Ireland's loss to Scotland represents a huge challenge for the players and the coaching team. In a way, it is a more psychologically damaging than the defeat to France in Round Two because when you take the field against the French, you are always aware that they can do something special against you.

The hard part is that we were beaten by a team ranked well below us that had been beaten by Italy earlier in the tournament. You could see that even the normally unflappable Declan Kidney was shell shocked in his post match interview and much moreso than he was after the French match.

That's because we did not expect to get anything from the trip France. Despite there being one or two issues with the scrum, we all thought Ireland would beat Scotland, even though we recognised how much they had improved.

On the day Scotland gave it everything and fought their way into the game while Ireland played loose, especially in the opening minutes, and didn't take their chances. That open approach yielded one try but Ireland also let several opportunities go begging.

Psychologically you can't underestimate that failure to take chances early in the game. When you get opportunities you need to get the scoreboard ticking and if you can it makes a huge difference to how both sides feel.

Ireland damaged by failure to take early chances

So you have to factor in the likes of Tommy Bowe making a break but not quite being able to connect with his pass and the other linebreaks that didn't result in scores, as well as Jonny Sexton's misses. It is the nature of rugby and all sport: scoring points breeds confidence and it did not happen for Ireland.

In the end, our back row was beaten up by the Scottish back row, and our lineout was appalling with Jerry Flannery's indiscretion against France ending up costing us hugely.

The other casualty is Johnny Sexton. He will have to be rehabilitated and his confidence needs to be restored. We all know that he is a brilliant goal kicker but he has not performed with the place ball since November when he had seven from seven against Fiji and scored all the points against South Africa. It is a mental issue and he is going to have to exorcise the demons.

Ireland v Scotland: interactive player ratings

As we have said all along, there is an issue with the scrum even though it has had one or two good moments. Taking one ball against the head in the England game does not make us a good scrummaging team. Ireland have been consistently pressurised in the scrum during this tournament and even though our lineout also really struggled, the scrum is the more persistent problem.

International rugby is not a place for the faint hearted. You take a few knocks and you have to get up, dust yourself off and come back for more.

Ireland's effort to improve was needed

Ireland have tried to improve as a team and that is something they had to do. Declan Kidney has said the team is trying to evolve and that is where the impetus to play a more open brand of rugby. The basis for that is that Ireland know they need to improve if they are ever to reach that top table and sit alongside the southern hemisphere big boys.

In the cold light of day the thing is that we could have lost two or three of the games that we ended up winning on the way to the Grand Slam last year. We needed to add to our game because if you stand still in sport you are in trouble.

There is a tendency to over-react whenever things go wrong. Certainly after the result against France there was an over-reaction to the defeat.

But it is a shame to end the stint at Croke Park on such a low and the Southern Hemisphere tour is now massive. It is important to remember that we still have a great record and we have not become a bad team overnight.

The next few months will be a huge test for the squad and the coaching team.