VERN Cotter conceded Scotland were yesterday taught a "brutal" lesson as they ended a winless RBS 6 Nations with a heavy 40-10 defeat to Ireland at Murrayfield.
The New Zealander admitted: "We got exposed today with a very good team in front of us. We've got to take silly errors out of our game. That was brought home with brutal clarity today."
Cotter was in predictably downbeat mood as he looked back on a comprehensive defeat in a competition that has brought five consecutive defeats in the campaign.
"It's a competition where you need to develop confidence with victories early on," he said, bemoaning the narrow defeats to France and Wales.
But he was precise on Scotland's failings as they managed only one try to four by the visitors.
"We conceded far too many turnovers, and we only had 30% possession in the second half. It was always going to be difficult, with those stats."
Cotter is aware that there is a conspicuous lack of confidence in his side and that there is not yet a psychological strength to dominate games.
"Our mindset's got to be building games," he said. He described the difference between a fine Ireland side and a callow Scottish team as "one team has built" and "the other side is trying to build and is not quite there yet". There is no prize for guessing which is which.
Cotter now has to construct a side to compete in the World Cup in the autumn, with Ireland forming one of the warm-up games. He was asked, perhaps mischievously, whether his side could win the tournament. He responded wryly: "I think we've got to address a fair few things in our game before we make ourselves a true threat. But that's something that will be addressed earnestly, right from the start."
He was buoyed by some aspects of a disappointing campaign. "There were encouraging individual performances during the Six Nations," said the former Clermont coach who has endured a testing first international season. "There were periods against France, England and Wales where we dominated."
However, he added: "We need a mindset change, and we'll have to work towards that, and become more efficient. There were a lot of things that quite genuinely I think can be worked on quite quickly.
"Those are things we need to find and understand, build pressure, build a game and not just be content with two or three phases."
He pointed out that resources were limited and that injuries had hit his limited squad hard.
But he stressed: "There are things within that we can improve on. These are good guys to work. Players and coaches will look at how we can develop skill-sets, change mindsets and come back stronger."
He was also hopeful that Alex Dunbar, the centre who suffered a cruciate injury in training for the England match, could be available for the World Cup. "The surgeon said the operation was reasonably straightforward, and he's hoping he'll be back in five-and-a-half months," he said.
He was gracious on Ireland, coached by Joe Schmidt, his assistant at Bay of Plenty and Clermont.
"They are a good team; they have the percentages worked out. They are well led, well organised, they are a good side," he said.
His players were candid about the reasons for yet another loss.
Captain Greig Laidlaw said: "We can't exert pressure from our own half. In competitions like this, if you can't do that you'll be in trouble."
and again it proved today."
David Denton said: "We don't have that killer instinct and we haven't learned how to win. It's a habit and teams like Ireland have developed it but we need to take a look at ourselves."
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