Sunday’s demoralising defeat at the hands of an Irish side chasing a third consecutive title brought a familiar sense of deflation for Scotland.
Jack Mann only played his second game for Glasgow eight weeks ago, but is now in Scotland's Six Nations squad.
There was intrigue in a call-up for the latest ‘kilted Kiwi’ Fergus Burke and a ‘bolter’ in Glasgow No.8 Jack Mann.
Edinburgh will have to do without new Scotland cap Freddy Douglas for at least the next month after the flanker suffered an ankle injury on his first senior start for the club.
Edinburgh head coach Sean Everitt insists the European Challenge Cup remains a major target and he is not taking a weakened team to Gloucester despite resting seven frontline Scotland players and omitting Hamish Watson from his squad.
Edinburgh were made to work against Benetton as they held on for a thrilling 50-33 victory in one of the most entertaining games of the United Rugby Championship season.
Going into the four-match Autumn Nations Series the general consensus was that Scotland needed to beat Fiji and Portugal convincingly, give the Springboks a run for their money and close out the year with a win over Australia. So, in that sense, it was a job well done.
Scotland wonderkid Freddy Douglas, who won his first international cap against Portugal last weekend, is on the radar of Gallagher Premiership high-fliers Bristol Bears.
It seems puzzling that a 19-year-old flanker should make his Test debut before seeing any action for his club.