Well, we got there in the end. Ireland saw off Scotland 35-25 in an ill-tempered clash at the Aviva Stadium, drawing the curtain on a mixed-bag Six Nations campaign.
The back row was dominant, Sexton was sin-binned and Simon Zebo took a restart, but Scotland's rather alarming three tries made life difficult as Joe Schmidt's side fought to an ultimately well-earned, ten-point victory.
Here's how we rated Ireland's players:
15. Simon Zebo 8
Quiet first half, but linked up well in midfield when the opportunities arose. Dealt with every high ball with ease, and, for all the question marks, was positionally excellent for the most part. Becoming more of a fullback with each start. Costly drop on the Scottish 22 as Ireland attacked 60 minutes in, but again ran a couple of excellent lines.
14. Andrew Trimble 7.5
Understated, solid performance. Made 37 metres in the first half, but through no fault of his own faded offensively as the game headed toward the trenches in the second.
13. Jared Payne 8
Showed a glimpse of his line-breaking ability with minutes remaining, though an ill-advised alley-oop wide was correctly adjudged forward. But in truth, Payne's display was all about well-timed defensive contributions at crucial junctures. Exceptional defensively on a day when Ireland as a whole were porous.
12. Robbie Henshaw 7.5
Made an outrageous covering tackle to no avail in the lead-up to Scotland's second try. Ran hard when presented with the opportunity but spent much of the second half with his head buried in rucks, replicating his centre partner's solid defensive contribution.
11. Keith Earls 8
Not much came his way, but Earls anticipated Seymour and Hogg's mistake superbly, collecting the bouncing ball for a simple try. Again cleared out well when he was needed at the breakdown.
10. Johnny Sexton 8
Sharp opening saw him pin the Scots back with a beautifully-weighted kick to the corner. Superbly innovative kick on his left foot put Earls in for Ireland's second. Ropey finish - being flipped on his back and then sin-binned himself, but 5 from 7 with the boot and an all-round accomplished display by the Ireland 10.
9. Conor Murray 8
Built on a promising display vs Italy with more quick service and a superbly taken try from a yard out. Changed the angle of attack very well on occasion, providing runners like Earls with a half yard to explore - particularly in the first half. Box kick to Hogg went horribly wrong, though some credit must go to the Scot for pinpointing Best and Ross in the line.
1. Jack McGrath 8
Again scrummaged well, and proved himself a more-than-capable replacement for Cian Healy's dynamic ball-carrying ability. Another excellent all-round display.
2. Rory Best 7.5
Continues to grow as a leader, and defended the gain-line exceptionally well. Threw one lineout askew as Ireland came under pressure in the final 15 minutes before being replaced by Strauss.
3. Mike Ross 7
Conceded a cheap penalty on the 14th minute which offered Scotland some respite whilst on the ropes. Didn't even get close enough to Stuart Hogg to miss a tackle for Scotland's try, though he can hardly have been expected to. He was by no means poor, but it wasn't a day for Ross to shine.
4. Donnacha Ryan 8
Made some strong carries and is gradually imposing himself as a nuisance on opposition ball. Growing into a fine international second row and very vocal in huddles. Will be pleased he sorted a few lads out.
5. Devin Toner 8
Lineout work again impressive. In general he carried well if not to the same effect as his second row partner, but his finish under the posts will likely draw a cult following of its own in the coming weeks.
6. CJ Stander 8.5
This is no mere mortal. Stander had eight carries in the opening twelve minutes compared to the entire Scotland team's two within the same period. His NFL-like leap over the tryline was but the cherry on the top of a mammoth display. On a fast-track to joining the pantheon of Irish rugby greats. Was surely a contender for man of the match.
7. Tommy O'Donnell 7.5
Once again first to the ruck after Ireland's breaks, and produced another selfless display on the ground which provided a lot of quick ball for Murray. Became a more integral ball-carrier in the second half. Harshly penalised twice, but more than belongs in an Ireland back row.
8. Jamie Heaslip 9
He and O'Donnell seem to have forged a rucking partnership of some description. A huge day of carrying for the oft-maligned Leinster 8, who threw some superb offloads - one which almost resulted in an Ireland try. Once again protected possession expertly.
Honourable mention
16. Richardt Strauss 8
It was a late entrance for most of Ireland's replacements, with none really having the time to impose themselves on the game. However, Richardt Strauss got the maul rolling again after sustained Scottish pressure, resulting in Devon Toner's try. He also made a superb defensive impact as Scotland sought to return the favour late on. Even at 30, he strikes as a future starter.
