SCOTLAND fell just short of pulling off what would have been an improbable victory in this Rugby World Cup warm-up match, but they emerged from the game with considerable credit after playing with a fair degree of confidence and coherence. Ireland, with 14 changes from the team which had beaten Wales a week earlier, looked lacklustre for much of the match and only came anywhere close to their best when they had to ensure the victory. But the Scots, too, were very much a scratch team, and while that showed in the odd touch of rustiness, in those circumstances they can be pleased by the many positive aspects of their play.

David Denton had a fine game at No 8, Hugh Blake was involved from first to last, and Blair Cowan also showed up well in the loose besides scoring his team’s first try. In short, the back row, which with two specialist opensides had been a potential weak link, came out of the contest very well.

Grant Gilchrist made an encouraging return from injury in the second row, as did Ruaridh Jackson at full-back. But, while those two continued their recovery, Ryan Grant and Jon Welsh were both added to the injury list.

Grant had to be stretchered off after several minutes of on-field treatment to an ankle and is a real worry. Welsh walked off after suffering a head knock and failed the concussion protocol, but he looks more likely to be available for next Saturday’s match in Turin. He was replaced in the front row by Mike Cusack, the second player after Blake to make his debut. Fraser Brown, the hooker making his first start for Scotland, strained a hamstring, and Blake dislocated a finger, but both should also be fit to play against Italy if called on.

Blake was the first Scots player to make an impact, albeit only with a break from deep within his own half after the Irish had imposed themselves early on. But the home team took their time to make the pressure count, and nearly quarter of an hour had gone by the time there was a score on the board. The move began with a simple lineout catch, and ended some eight or nine phases when flanker Chris Henry crashed over from a ruck within the five-metre line. Ian Madigan converted, and Ireland were up and running.

Had the Irish kicked any of the penalties they were given in the first half-hour they might have built up a considerable lead, but instead Scotland pulled level. Denton did the initial damage, then swift recycling by Peter Horne, Jackson and Richie Vernon ended with Cowan touching down on the right. Horne added the extra points, but was then wide with a long-range penalty attempt five minutes later, making the half-time score 7-7.

The picture brightened further in the opening stages of the second half when they took the lead through an unconverted try from the captain, Henry Pyrgos. Ireland, who might have been expected to come out determined to play at a higher tempo, continued to look sluggish, and failed to prevent the scrum-half from plunging through the tightest of gaps in their defence.

Ireland at last began to build momentum and regained the lead after 55 minutes. A penalty to touch deep in the Scotland 22 set up a promising platform, and from the lineout Sean Cronin forced his way over for a try which Madigan converted.

Paul O’Connell’s arrival of the bench to the biggest cheer of the afternoon added to the impression that there had been a momentum shift in the match - but a Horne penalty nosed Scotland back in first with an hour played. Within minutes Simon Zebo broke through for his team’s third try of the day, and Madigan’s conversion made it 21-15, but Scotland replied swiftly when Horne got on the end of a good break by Sean Lamont. Jackson’s two points made it 21-22.

Again, the lead did not last long. With ten minutes left, a superb cross-field pass from Madigan was gathered by Luke Fitzgerald out on the left for a score which Madigan himself converted. Madigan failed with a penalty attempt five minutes from time, but Ireland had still done just enough to end up on top.

Following on from a dismal Six Nations Championship, this was a sixth consecutive defeat of the year for Scotland. However, compared to the 30-point defeat they suffered the last time they played against Ireland, this performance at least showed they are moving, albeit modestly, in the right direction. At this rate, they should be able to turn honourable defeats into a victory in Italy: that would be a real sign that the improvement is not a fleeting one.

Ireland: S Zebo (P Jackson 78); T Bowe (D Kearney 61), J Payne, G D’Arcy, L Fitzgerald; I Madigan, I Boss (E Reddan 67); D Kilcoyne (M Bent 61), S Cronin (R Strauss 61), M Ross (N White 52), D Toner, D Tuohy (P O’Connell 56), J Conan (J Murphy 65), C Henry, S O’Brien.

Scotland: R Jackson; S Lamont, R Vernon (M Scott 61), P Horne, T Visser; G Tonks, H Pyrgos (Hidalgo-Clyne 66); R Grant (G Reid 45), F Brown (R Ford 52), J Welsh (M Cusack 48), J Hamilton (R Harley 57), G Gilchrist, B Cowan (J Barclay 58), H Blake, D Denton. Unused sub: D Weir.

Referee: P Gauzere (France). Attendance: tba