Declan Kidney’s men outscored the Scots 3-0 in tries but their penalty count, now up to 37 for the tournament, threatens to derail their challenge.

Ireland must win their last two games against Wales and England to stand any chance of winning the Six Nations – and D’Arcy believes discipline in Cardiff will be crucial.

“We can’t make excuses for giving away penalties; we’ve got to be harder on ourselves,” said D’Arcy.

“It’s nothing new, it’s not rocket science. In previous years we were the most disciplined team in the world but scored just one try, yet won by the same margin.

“Without a shadow of a doubt it’s rectifiable. Composure was a big thing against Scotland because nobody panicked.

“When it mattered there were no penalties, no infringements, so that begs the question: why didn’t we do that for the other 70 minutes?”