Head coach Declan Kidney has defended the tactics employed during the Six Nations loss to Scotland, that crushed Ireland's Triple Crown hopes and ended the Croke Park era on a damp squib.
Ireland started the game like a train, throwing the ball around and threatening to engulf the visitors, but a string of handling errors undermined the gameplan and allowed the Scots build a 17-7 bridgehead.
The men in green eventually reverted to a more conservative gameplan and clawed their way back into the game before losing out to an expertly-converted Dan Parks penalty late on.
"You'll never improve as a side unless you try things, but we weren't trying things for the sake of it," Kidney said.
"We knew we had to go after Scotland to try and beat them and it's vital that we keep trying these things because we won't beat anybody unless we do.
"First and foremost it was about winning and trying to get a result, but we tried things that didn't come off. The error count went against us."
Kidney added that he was very disappointed to have let down the fans - "There were so many people depending on us - supporters and the whole country" - but underlined the importance of evolving the side and its tactics. Fans will recall that this is an area where they accused Kidney's predecessor, Eddie O'Sullivan, of sorely lacking.
"It's a very disappointing place to be at the moment but these fellas are very resilient.
"We made mistakes, but we made mistakes trying things. Now we have to work on not making mistakes when the pressure is on," he said.