Gatland doesn't execute anyone publicly

No one wanted to delve too deeply, afraid that the answers might prove unpalatable. Despite a litany of Murrayfield misery since the last success in 1985, Ireland teams have not been inoculated from expectation. Saturday was no exception. In previous years the body language of sundry Irish management teams as they strode into press conferences, weaned on a diet of defeats, has been one of defiance, daring their inquisitors to call a spade a spade. On Saturday evening, in the bowels of Murrayfield, the assembled media called it a digging implement.

Irish coach Warren Gatland, team manager Donal Lenihan, assistant coach Philip Danaher and captain Paddy Johns resisted the temptation to hide behind sullen expressions and mumbled answers. Questions were answered with equanimity, opinions offered. It was not their fault that the questions were superficial; it merely illustrated both parties were a little squeamish when it came to examining another Irish corpse.

There would be no bloodletting, just a generalisation of where things fell apart. Yet despite Gatland's calm and measured delivery, one could sense his hurt. His loyalty to certain players was not reciprocated in several performances. Keith Wood, Paul Wallace and Andy Ward - men to whom others turn for inspiration - did not deliver.

They were not alone - suffice is to say that only Dion O'Cuinneagain and David Humphreys will review their respective performances with any pleasure. But Wood, Wallace and Ward were players who had promised to atone for substandard performances against England. There could be no faulting their honesty or commitment but that alone is not enough.

A crestfallen Wallace, nursing his groin problems, which have prevented him from training properly, was offering no excuses. "It didn't hamper me. We really wanted to try and dominate them up front but couldn't manage it. There are a lot of disappointed players in that dressingroom."

Gatland though was not about to execute anyone publicly. "I suppose I have mixed emotions really. Obviously, I am disappointed with the result but the pleasing aspect from our point of view is that we did create more chances than we have for a long time. We didn't finish them off. They had the ability to finish off their chances. That was the big difference in the match.

"The Scots defended particularly well. We turned over ball in situations where we needed to score. We were looking to attack down the blindside and using forwards like Dion O'Cuinneagain. He was outstanding for us. We were trying to inject a bit of pace into our game. I thought that David Humphreys created a lot of opportunities for us as well."

Asked whether the Scots surprised Ireland, captain, Paddy Johns replied: "We knew they were a very good side. The Leslie brothers have brought some Southern Hemisphere attributes to the team. We caught them on a very good day and we are disappointed to finish on the wrong side of the result.

"They [Scotland] played some good rugby as did we but they took their chances and we didn't."

The questions like the answers were becoming predictable. Gatland had little difficulty in alighting upon the pivotal moment in the match. "At 15-13 I think we dominated for the first 10 minutes of the second half and it looked as though we had them under pressure.

"For them to score straight away to go to 22-13 was poor. We had a chance to get back into it again but we turned over a ball on the Scottish line and they end up scoring down the far end. So they were two big moments in the match at the end of which the result was decided."

Gatland then paid tribute to the Scots. "I thought they were clinical. They probably missed a couple of chances but they were excellent in the way they did finish. They ran nice and straight and moved the ball out wide with some crisp handling. I was very impressed with the Scottish team.

"We set a goal of finishing third in the Five Nations, I'm disappointed we haven't achieved that but I said before that we played some of our best rugby today. We need to keep learning, be a bit more clinical and a little more accurate. We turned over three or four lineouts, which was again disappointing. We are happy with some of the progress that we have made but have some areas that we really need to concentrate on and continue to improve on before the World Cup."

As to who will be there to absorb those lessons makes next week's squad announcement for the game against Italy at Lansdowne Road very interesting. What once might have been viewed as an opportunity to blood a couple of promising players, now becomes a match of vital importance.

Despite yet another disappointing afternoon, change may be minimal for the Italian game: Gatland's decision now to decide the fate of those whom he placed on last orders. Time please!