All too familiar. Scotland, as ever, dangerous when expectation is low, are frustrated time and again when it creeps up high. So it has proved once more. Ireland were too powerful, too efficient. Even if the Scots showed nerve and skill to recover from a 14-point deficit to level with five minutes remaining, a late Johnny Sexton penalty inflicted a second consecutive home defeat. For all the excitement of Twickenham in round one, there Scotland still reside, in that little niche of theirs just above Italy. No championship for them then, game in hand or not. Nor for Ireland, but the visitors have responded to the disappointment of two defeats from two to register a second win from two. What is more, they move into second place, albeit eight points behind Wales. They return home now to prepare to host England in their final game. This was familiar from them too. Set-piece excellence, particularly at the lineout, where Scotland suffered horribly, allied to that powerful phase game of theirs. Oh, and then there was the boot of Sexton. Ireland’s captain landed six kicks from seven, including five penalties from five, the last of which, from wide out on the left, won the game with three minutes remaining. Warren Gatland, the watching Lions coach, knows Sexton better than he does Scotland’s contender at fly-half, Finn Russell. He will not feel the need to tweak his contacts after this. For a barometer of how Scotland are playing, it has long been customary to keep an eye on Russell and Stuart Hogg, best players of the era and keepers of Scotland’s flame. This was a classic test for the home team. Ireland at home is a game they should be winning with authority if England away is now an assignment within their compass. Sure enough, Hogg and Russell were to the fore in the early exchanges, but authority less so. Ireland mounted an early attack, James Lowe, their new toy on the left wing, making an incision to launch the familiar sight of green shirts battering at a line. Russell rolled too slowly away from one tackle, and Ireland opened the scoring with a penalty, only to follow up with a try a few minutes later. This time Hogg was targeted. The more mundane duties of the full-back continue to feel beneath his all-round brilliance, but they do still count. Robbie Henshaw beat him to a high ball to put Scotland in trouble, then Keith Earls caused him further trouble at another. Henshaw himself fell on the loose ball for the game’s opening try. It was a breathless encounter from the word go – breathless but shapeless. Scotland do not mind that, even if they could have done with a bit of lineout ball. Ireland won more ball from the Scottish lineout in the first half than they did from their own. Nevertheless, after Russell opened their account with a penalty, he helped Scotland to the lead just before the half-hour. And in typically wild fashion. Hogg charged down a kick around halfway, which ricocheted back into his face. He then, much more adroitly, stabbed the ball towards the danger area with his right boot, where Russell gleefully connected with a right-footed dink of his own. That one bounced off Lowe’s face, softly into Russell’s arms. He trotted round to the posts for the try. His conversion earned Scotland the lead. The taste was shortlived. Two Sexton penalties in the 10 minutes to half-time, either side of a miss from Russell, restored Ireland’s lead at the break, which they extended again within 10 minutes of the resumption. More lineout dominance from the visitors paved the way for the excellent Tadhg Beirne to barge over. The touchdown was not obvious among the grasping thicket of arms, but referee Romain Poite burrowed his way into it to identify the grounding. Sexton stretched Ireland’s lead to 14 five minutes later with his fourth penalty. Scotland had to respond swiftly. They did – and it was with the panache we have come to expect. Sam Johnson made the first break, but then it was over to Russell and Hogg to give Huw Jones the outside, which he took with style on the hour. Russell had taken a knock to the head and was soon to leave, so Hogg stepped up to land the conversion. Scotland pressed again, setting up camp deep in Ireland’s 22. They turned down a string of penalties to keep up the pressure. Duhan van der Merwe was desperately close but dared not reach out for the line. Happily, Hamish Watson managed it a phase or two later. Hogg landed the conversion. All square with five to go. But as England discovered when hauling back a two-score deficit in Cardiff, such a turnaround takes immense focus. It is tiring, and so often the toll is exacted in the endgame. This time, straight from the restart, Ali Price held on in the tackle. Sexton landed his fifth penalty. No one seriously doubted he would. Scotland have a way still to go to reach that sort of level.