A BITTER ending to a hugely disappointing tournament for Scotland.

In truth, I always expected Ireland to win this match, but not by this kind of margin. However, the brutal fact is that they were better than Scotland in every phase and every position. We can hardly complain about the result.

We were completely outclassed and out played in the second half. I thought there had been a few positives from Scotland in the first 40 minutes, but after that there was only one team in it. We started by making silly errors and letting Ireland in for soft scores, but we were probably the better side for most of the second quarter.

But after that, Ireland stamped their authority. We weren't getting to the breakdown quick enough and Ireland absolutely ruled the gain line. I thought Sean O'Brien was superb, quite outstanding, and Paul O'Connell got through a power of work.

We stretched Ireland once or twice, but they had us on the rack for long periods. The second-half stats made grim reading as we were hammered for possession and territory and also coughed up a ridiculous number of turnovers.

I wonder if one or two guys in the Scotland team at the moment are a little bit out of their depth. We were making basic errors and then compounding them by making more mistakes. Ireland never did anything like that. They played like a side that had the championship bit in their teeth.

Ireland absolutely dominated us up front. They are a great side and they have been maturing together for years. They look like a team that can make a big impact in the World Cup, and the so-called southern hemisphere giants will certainly not be taking them lightly. Conor Murray and Jonny Sexton have given them a level of control at half-back that Scotland simply could not match.

I thought a few Scotland players looked just a little jaded. Mark Bennett was not the influence or the threat he has been in recent games. Stuart Hogg was a beacon of sharpness, but he never seemed to get the ball in the channels where he could be a real danger. It said everything about the game that when he did get over the line in the dying seconds he had the ball knocked from his hands by Jamie Heaslip. As it turned out, the points Heaslip stopped there were crucial to Ireland's title.

To score no points in the second half for the third time in five games is a real concern. It shows how thin our resources really are because we can't assemble a bench that can keep opponents under pressure. Losing Euan Murray so early was a big blow and we looked underpowered after Geoff Cross picked up an injury as well.

Whatever Vern Cotter says, he will be furious about that second-half performance. He has the unenviable job of knocking this team into shape ahead of the World Cup and even he must be wondering where to start. Eight weeks ago, I was confident that Scotland could make an impact in this Six Nations, but we seem to have taken a big step backwards.

There were a few bright spots I suppose. Dave Denton appeared to be back in the form that made him such an exciting prospect a few seasons ago, while Adam Ashe made some powerful carries. But the Irish forwards were well on top for almost all of the game.

Ireland are deserved winners of the Six Nations title, although they must have been sweating at the end of the England - France game. Joe Schmidt has got them working superbly, and they just seem to know all the time where they should be. When opportunities arise, they transition into attack superbly well, whereas Scotland are still at the stage where they seem to have to think about what they are doing.

Ireland taught Scotland a lesson in this game. I really hope they take it on board and use the Irish as an example of the kind of game they should be playing and the standards they should be meeting. As things stand, they are falling a long way short.