OPINION: Shaky start to a new dawn but Ireland get the job done against Scotland in Six Nations

The last time the green shirts were on a pitch was five months ago, producing an inept performance against New Zealand in a World Cup quarter-final as they ended their disappointing campaign in Japan.

That match also marked the end of head coach Joe Schmidt’s time holding the reigns.

Saturday in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium heralded a new dawn, a new era - it had tones of Brexit about it - the only difference being new head coach Andy Farrell only has a week to ready his charges for the second chapter of the ‘Farrell Years’.

Farrell had already signalled some changing of the guard by leaving a few key names out of his ‘stock take’ over the Christmas period and again when he named an initial 35-man squad for the Six Nations Championship, increasing it to 36 by including Ulster centre Stuart McCloskey two weeks out from the opening game.

There had been huge speculation he could bring out a big sweeping broom, but in the end Farrell picked a side which would get the job done against Scotland rather than risk something not tried and tested - although not quite wanting to have a throwback to the Schmidt years.

The laboured win was not as convincing as the last time the nations had met, in a World Cup group opener in Japan, when Ireland blew the Scots away in the first quarter.

The visitors were in the contest throughout the 80-plus minutes and, in all honesty, had they had more of a clinical edge - coupled with the fact new captain Stuart Hogg dropped the ball in the act of trying to score a try - the headlines would have been different.

However, it is a good benchmark to kick on into the campaign which sees Wales - who won 42-0 against Italy as they marked the defence to their title - come to Dublin on Saturday.

Scotland will rue the many wasted chances they had to take a long overdue success on Irish soil - they last won in March 2010 at Croke Park - but there was enough in their performance to suggest Gregor Townsend has the side going in the right direction, though the reality is they are looking at a fourth place at best in this Championship.

As for the new Farrell era - there were glimpses of some new attacking ideas, the risk-averse Schmidt handbook binned, although they perhaps did not come off as expected.

One which did, and led to the only try of the game for new captain Jonny Sexton, reflects positively in the work that has gone on in the training camp for the past 10 days and we can expect to see more of it in the next few weeks of this tournament.

Attack is one side of the ball Farrell, his coaching team and the playing squad will want to continue to work on.

It was the defence which won the game for Ireland. The sleeves were rolled up and there was a sense of that ‘fight for every inch’ mentality that Dan McFarland has used so effectively at Ulster.

In particular the stand from the men in green when Scotland were pressing for a try when trailing by seven points and five minutes remaining. How the Scots did not get over was testament to the true grit and determination by Ireland to stop them.

Having survived the schoolboy error by Hogg - Ireland had a seven point lead when he dropped the ball over the line - and that throw the kitchen sink effort from the Scots in the closing minutes, Ireland will be somewhat relieved to have made it a winning start to the championship and Farrell.

Indeed the new man with the reins cut a different figure from his predecessor, quite animated at times in the coaching box - Schmidt rarely showing any emotions during his tenure, even in defeating New Zealand twice!

But Farrell will have his serious face back on come this morning as he looks to plot the downfall of Wales who, like Ireland, have a new man at the helm, former Scarlets coach, Wayne Pivac.

Wales produced a confident first-half show in their eventual 42-0 demolition of the Italians in Cardiff as Pivac began the process of moving on from the Warren Gatland era - which ended with a Six Nations Grand Slam and a World Cup semi-final.

Pivac wants to introduce a more expansive brand of rugby and it was evident the players have bought into his message. Wales did not press the foot down on the throttle fully in the second period, but picking up a bonus point ensured it was job done.

The Welsh will prove a sterner test and Farrell has the added sting of a quarter of injuries to consider going into the game.

Doris and David Kilcoyne will go through the return to play protocols while centre Garry Ringrose suffered a hand injury and Tadhg Furlong limped off with a tightening calf in the closing minutes.

Farrell may also look to make a couple of changes in light of the performance against the Scots, in spite of the win, with potentially John Cooney getting his chance to start ahead of Conor Murray.

Murray had a mixed enough display for his 59 minutes, still not at his best, while Cooney, did not put a foot wrong off the bench, indeed making three important kicks to keep Scotland on the back heel before that late, late rally.

O’Mahony may have done enough to state his case to be reinstated - although that will also depend on Doris’ recovery.

If Ringrose’s injury rules him out, Robbie Henshaw did enough in his 40-minute showing to take the start in the centre, which could open the door for Stuart McCloskey on the bench.

Ireland will want to build on their opening hit-out and Farrell will have gained confidence from what on the whole was a positive start to his tenure.

Meanwhile, the French signalled their intent for this Championship with a thoroughly deserved 24-17 win over pre-tournament favourites, England, in Paris yesterday.

Les Bleus, who had led 17-0 at the break, last won the Championship in 2010 - with a Grand Slam - and on that display after 10 years in the shadows are serious contenders.

England, whose last outing was a World Cup final loss to South Africa, were well off the mark during the first half, but showed enough in the second half to remain strong challengers.