IT could have been worse. It has to get better.

 

The retreat from Twickenham was not quite as bedraggled as one feared after the opening salvoes threatened to blow Scotland to perdition. Instead, the spirit in the squad remains intact though the raising of confidence requires a victory.

The problem for Vern Cotter and his side is that they are not as good as four of the teams in the RBS 6 Nations. They should have won against Italy, the only weaker team in the competition at least according to rankings, but they did not. Ireland, still in the hunt for the title await at Murrayfield next week, and Scotland face the realistic prospect of finishing the 6 Nations with the wooden spoon and without a victory.

The reasons to be cheerful, then, are limited before the preparation for a World Cup where Scotland will be hoping to make the knockout phase. The key match is against Samoa and Cotter must build on what he sees as improvement. Scotland will almost certainly have to win three matches in the group stage against USA, Japan and Samoa to set up a knockout tie, perhaps against England at Twickenham.

The evidence from Saturday is that Cotter's side are still some way short of the best Northern hemisphere sides with the top Southern hemisphere sides also far too strong.

The motif of the season for Scotland is to look at the glimmers of hope while shielding one's eyes from the most blinding faults. For example, there was much praise for Scotland's scramble defence against England but it does not take a cynic to point out that this can only be conspicuous if the frontline defence has been breached.

Stuart Lancaster, the England coach, pointed out later that his side had only capitalised with three tries from 12 line breaks. The statistics insist England recorded 11 line breaks but this is a mere detail lost in the reality that England seemed to punch through Scotland at will. Scotland missed 26 tackles. They also lost two scrums.

However, there were signs that Scotland could profit against Samoa in certain areas. The lineout, with Jonny Gray commanding, remains solid. David Denton was purposeful and strong in carrying the ball, Blair Cowan was tough in the tackle and cute in winning turnovers and the forwards as a unit were not overwhelmed by a vaunted English pack.

Reputations were both restored and enhanced in the backs. Greig Laidlaw was not at his sharpest against Italy, seeming to hesitate for that half-second before choosing his option. He was aggressive, focused and sharp on Saturday. His first task was to rally his beleaguered troops after England took an early lead but he then led them in action. He was crucial to creating Mark Bennett's try that helped Scotland secure a highly unlikely 13-10 half-time lead.

Bennett took his try brilliantly and is already a centre of undoubted class. He constantly seeks the ball and his willingness is complemented by a touch of steel and a burgeoning talent.

Finn Russell, too, was excellent at stand-off. He was targeted by the English runners but made 11 tackles and was enterprising with ball in hand. Stuart Hogg remains a full-back who is capable of breaking open a game with a burst of pace or a devilish sidestep.

The task for Scotland is to harness a strong lineout with a steady scrum in the forwards and to find a way to reward the flair of the backs with the currency of tries. Curiously, Scotland dominated possession and carried the ball more often on Saturday but scored one try to England's three.

Cotter and his players insist that a breakthrough in terms of results is merely a detail, a piece of luck away.

The Scottish rugby public wants to be convinced but the table tells a frank story and the solid evidence of the superiority of at least four of the teams in the 6 Nations is surely irrefutable.

The case for Ireland, of course, has still to be made at Murrayfield but the way they confounded and outplayed England in Dublin does not have this observer scrambling to remove his meagre pension for a wager on a Scotland victory.

Cotter needs more time to work with this squad, particularly to add the "hard edge" he advocates. This edge may best be characterised by being street smart when approaching the line, by eking every advantage from the setpiece and being prepared to launch a talented backline at precisely the right moment.

All may be lost in the 6 Nations but Cotter knows his side will have opportunities in the World Cup. They must seize them or an enduring goodwill will slip from their collective grasp.