The Scotland pack is regarded as the best the country has produced for some time, but the backs are widely considered to lack the necessary firepower to trouble the worlds tightest defences.

Frank Haddens side are increasingly reliant on the metronomic boot of Chris Paterson for their points, the latest example coming against Ireland in the RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Paterson kicked six penalties in a flawless performance at Murrayfield to keep Scotland in touch with Ireland right to the end.

But it was Ronan OGara, having already scored the games only try, who slotted the decisive penalty to hand his side an 18-19 victory and with it their third Triple Crown in four years.

Murray won his 83rd cap against Eddie OSullivans side to overtake Gregor Townsend as Scotlands most capped player and is well placed to point the way forward for his country.

The Edinburgh lock said: We are a good team but we need everyone to play 100% or we wont play well. We cant have any passengers.

The frustrating thing is we are training under pressure and running the patterns really well. Its just when it comes to games that we arent stringing any phases together.

Whether we are panicking or not having confidence in the way were trying to play, I dont know, but there is a belief in the squad that we can do something special - we just havent brought it out yet.

I think we maybe need to create a bit more space for the backs. As forwards we seem to be throwing the ball to them and say, right, do something with that and well mop up.

Murray admits it was a relief that Scotland eventually got the Italy nightmare out of their system, but insists there is more to come from a side desperate to make its mark.

He said: The two teams didnt really play the way they wanted to. There were plenty of things which went right for us but our general team pattern wasnt quite right.

We were really disappointed but were trying to take the positives from it because Ireland are the second or third best team in the world. We were right up there with them.

We need to pick the bones out of what happened on Saturday and look forward to France this weekend.