Jacob Stockdale's international career has seen very few speed bumps, but the honest winger admits he was not pleased with his own performance against England last weekend.
Ireland's 32-20 defeat to England was very much a collective malfunction rather than individual errors, as Eddie Jones' side laid down a serious marker of their intentions both short-term and looking ahead to Japan.
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Last season's top try-scorer didn't have a sniff of getting off the mark for the 2019 campaign, and his most visible moment around the try line was in the lead-up to Elliot Daly's first-half try.
Stockdale was chasing the England full-back's grubber over the line, but couldn't get the high bounce under control. Jack Nowell's pressure and Daly's reactions won out and was somewhat symbolic of the day.
"I was really disappointed with that," he told RTÉ Sport. "I felt like I could have collected it and obviously stopped that try.
"Outside of that I wouldn't say I was happy with my performance but I thought there was a lot of good with what I did"
"It's a tough one to analyse yourself when you've lost and you feel like nothing you did was good enough.
"Outside of that I wouldn't say I was happy with my performance but I thought there was a lot of good with what I did.
"There was a lot of intent," in a nod towards his carrying for 74 metres and willingness to probe.
"You look at every decision you make, and there are always times when you could do something differently, but that's rugby. Hopefully as I get more experience I'll be making those decisions a bit better."
Part of the reason the winger had to chase back was down to England's repeated tactic of kicking into space in a backfield that compromised of a callow Stockdale, Robbie Henshaw making just his second outing at 15 in the Test arena and a bruised Keith Earls who shipped a couple of heavy knocks.
Did the Ulster man feel any added pressure going into the game with Henshaw at full-back?
"Honestly no," he insists. "I didn't feel any worries about that, and during the game I thought Robbie played well, and whenever they find grass with kicks it's not always down to the full-back. It could be my fault, the wing's fault, or a defender not putting enough pressure on the 10 for the kick.
"So there's a whole lot of different cogs that have to work well there.
"I thought Robbie did a great job with all of that. He's a class player."
This weekend Rob Kearney returns to the team to win his 87th cap and Stockdale says it is a boost for him individually, and for the team as a collective, to have the 32-year-old back in situ.
"Rob is just as good [as Henshaw] if not a little better there, but a lot of that is down to his extra experience.
"He's a real classy player. He helps out massively in terms of what to do and grass coverage. He's been doing that for a very long time. That experience is really helpful especially for me. Realistically I don't have that many caps or experience at this level. To be able to do my own job is really good."
The 22-year-old plays down the notion that there is added pressure in avoiding successive defeats - "If we had won on Saturday, there would have been pressure to keep winning. It's always massive going into any international game" and is focused on downing a rejuvenated Scotland team.
Stockdale will be facing down a potent Scottish backline that has been afforded more freedom under the watch of Gregor Townsend and Finn Russell's attacking play at 10.
The Racing 92 man was instrumental in the victory over Italy and his flat passing game is right on the edge.
Could it offer Stockdale, a fine exponent of the intercept try, opportunities to exploit at Murrayfield?
"I think once you start going looking for intercepts it can be a pretty dangerous game, because Finn Russell is a very smart player, he's very intuitive.
"He's definitely the kind of player that if he sees you going for it, he'll let you think you're going to have it, and then he'll put the ball past you, or in behind you.
"You just can't go chasing intercepts, and you just have to, hopefully, grab the one that becomes available throughout the game.
"For me it's just about making sure that I defend well, connect with the backline and the forwards around me.
"And then if the opportunity arises then I definitely plan on taking it."
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