It’s a nice change to make some calls, on how you see a match panning out, what you think the score and outcome might be, and, who will be the star turns – and then watching it all unfold before your eyes.

But, that’s how Saturday played out, so a big thank you to the Scotland team for making me sound and look good!

Joking aside, every credit goes to the guys who played so well to deliver a result against the Irish, which although deserved, wasn’t secured until that last kick.

There are so many positives to pick out. Let’s start with the obvious one. Stuart Hogg was outstanding at full-back, and brought his A-game and "watch this" attitude on to the Murrayfield pitch. The first 20 minutes looked like a "best of Stuart Hogg" compilation DVD, running in two great scores.

Our defence was resolute, hungry, and defiant. It would have been easy to succumb when under so much pressure in that second-half, but, apart from all the points we scored in the first half, the only reason we had a kick to make certain of the win was because our defensive line tackled themselves to a standstill.

That tackle count, 213, is incredible. Someone, an Irishman, said “but look at those missed.” Yes, 32, but given Scotland were fending off wave after wave of Irishmen, it was still a magnificent – maybe even the match-winning effort.

But in amongst what was just a fantastic team display, there were lots of little cameo performances and moments that all played into the eventual outcome.

Take Sean Maitland. I’ve always liked his attitude and work rate. That was what got him on the Lions tour four years ago, and could do again. First, he produced a try-saving tackle on Rob Kearney out wide, then, intercepted a loose ball in midfield when Ireland seemed nailed on to score. Maybe just doing his job, but, we’ve had other wingers in the past who would not have put in that graft or made up that ground.

When Finn Russell was off, Duncan Weir produced a towering clearing kick that knocked the Irish back in to their own corner. Sometimes, you just have to do the basics really well, because in addition to shifting the Irish back into their own territory, he gave his forwards time for a breather.

And when John Barclay came on for Hamish Watson, who’d had another good game, he made an absolute nuisance of himself, disrupting ball, scavenging around the fringes. Another key element.

And while we are amongst the forwards, a special mention to Alex Dunbar. What was he doing there, in a line out?

Scotland have obviously had these tricks and weapons up their sleeves, and just decided to utilise them in the opening Six Nations game. That’s brave, but we were playing with the confidence that allowed us to try it, a few yards from the Irish line. Well done though, to whoever had the clarity of thought, a cool head in the heat of a torrid battle, and a bit of gumption to say to themselves, ‘now would be a good time for a wee bootleg play.’

It caught everyone unaware; the Irish line-out faced up to their opponent, but didn’t see the spare men. Did Rory Best, with all his experience, not think it unusual to find himself next to Greig Laidlaw? Small moments maybe, but big ones in terms of the effect on the outcome.

Talking of Greig, he played Conor Murray well, outplayed him at times, assisted greatly by the Scottish backrow who never gave the Munster scrum-half a minute. The favourite for the Lions nine shirt? I didn’t see anything on Saturday to suggest it.

On the subject of scrum-halves, I’d like to see Laidlaw go it alone and snipe a bit more. Speaking to another old Scotland No.9, Bryan Redpath, we reckoned he doesn’t do it enough, and when he does, he’s isolated, often having to offload in the tackle rather than bursting the hole and then doing it.

To be effective, you need support on your shoulder, both shoulders preferably. I couldn’t image making ground without having Finlay Calder or ‘JJ’ right up my tail, and ‘Brush’ said the same, without Rob Wainwright or Eric Peters, or Craig Chalmers or Gregor Townsend.

All of that comes through practice, and confidence. But if we can try fancy line-out moves, surely we have some more basic ploys in the locker?

So plenty to celebrate and enjoy. And I bet Vern Cotter feels the same. But let’s not get totally carried away, because there were a couple of things that could have gone against us.

Had the game, instead of being open and quick, become a scrumfest, I think we would have struggled.

I said before the game, in Saturday’s Herald Sport, that I was worried that Fraser Brown didn’t have enough presence with two young props either side. We lost the first three scrums and gave away three penalties. Those overhead cameras are great. Unfortunately, they can also expose some dodgy technique.

On a different day we could have been kicked out of the game before we go started.

Thankfully, Ross Ford bulked things up a bit, and, gave Allan Dell and Zander Fagerson the chance to hold their ground.

That is something that needs looking at, because we will face bigger packs and better scrummaging teams than the Irish down the road – starting next week against France.

And the Stade de France isn’t really a place you want to spend all day going backwards.