Ireland v ScotlandKevin Ferrie gives a Scottish perspective on the problems facing new coach Matt Williams as he seeks to avoid a Six Nations whitewash

When Matt Williams crossed the Irish Sea stating he had taken a pay cut to achieve his ambition of coaching at Test level there was unease on either side of the water.

In Ireland there seemed to be a sense of business having been not so much unfinished as, in the end, unsatisfactorily conducted. Domestic silverware had been garnered including the Celtic League trophy in the competition's inaugural year, but Leinster's European efforts, and in particular the way they threw away a gilt-edged opportunity to lift the Heineken Cup with last season's Lansdowne Road semi-final defeat by Perpignan, had left a bad taste in the mouth.

Meanwhile in Scotland there was concern the Scottish Rugby Union's financial plight meant they had merely got the best coach available for the money rather than, necessarily, the best man for the job.

Williams's CV hardly made inspiring reading. While other Super 12 coaches had come to Europe having been head-hunted for top international jobs the Sydney-sider had, after all, left New South Wales for an assistant coach's post at a provincial side. Considering the quality of talent available at Leinster, in particular that dazzling three-quarter line which no Scot would currently force his way into, it also seemed he had under-performed there once promoted.

Still this was a fresh start for Scotland after an embarrassing World Cup campaign and as he settled in the majority were keen to give Williams a chance.

Few in Dublin would be surprised to hear he began by making all the right noises. In moving base away from Murrayfield he explained he was keen to re-establish the national stadium's specialness. Facilities at Stirling University, where the Scottish Institute of Sport is based, were also superior, something Williams had discovered, ironically, when the SRU based the Ireland A squad he was coaching there last season.

While potentially controversial his "Fortress Scotland" policy, based on the Irish model of having the vast majority of the national squad based at home, was also a popular notion in a country where there are so few quality players, it seems obvious they must spend the maximum amount of time together to get the total to add up to more than the combined sum of its component parts. That he was prepared to tell established players their time was up was also dangerous but largely well-received.

Yet in the past few weeks, particularly since the unheard of experience for Scotland players of being booed onto their bus by their own supporters after defeat in Rome, he has come under pressure and seemed less certain of himself. That was particularly demonstrated in the case of the enormously popular Chris Paterson whom Williams made captain on the basis he was the team's best back while also indicating that, unlike the previous regime, he saw him as the team's best play-maker.

The coach's change of tack, suggesting he might return the Edinburgh star to full back against France only to then keep him at outhalf, was less than sure-footed.

Meanwhile the first challenge to "Fortress Scotland" seemed to arrive when Iain Fullarton, a member of the wider national squad, chose to move within the English Premiership from Sale to Saracens. Williams claimed to be unconcerned by this, but that was hardly a message that signalled intent when the lock, whom the coach rates Scotland's fifth choice in the position, seemed an ideal candidate for repatriation.

As for the bold decision to bring in the youngsters, it has been a bit rich to then repeatedly blame inexperience for the side's failings in losing every championship match.

So far Scotland have been easily beaten in Cardiff, suffered a record home defeat by England, become the first team to lose to Italy for a second time in the championship and recorded nil in a Test for the first time in more than a quarter of a century when thrashed 31-0 at home by France.

Admittedly the coach stated ahead of it all that such are the rugby nation's resources this was always going to be a long-term project, but the repeated nature of his pronouncements on that subject has in itself become a problem, smacking of getting excuses in early and rather too often. Scotland has always struggled desperately with tiny playing numbers yet, barring an astonishing reversal of fortune at Lansdowne Road, his first campaign will bring a first wooden spoon since 1994 and a first whitewash since 1985.

In a country already having troubles with the concept of foreign coaches taking charge of the national team - see Berti Vogts and the reaction to the recent 4-0 defeat by Wales in football - this was hardly the start the Australian needed, and with his native country to be faced three times while the Springboks also visit Edinburgh before the year is out, it is hard to see things getting easier for him in the foreseeable future.

If he can ride out the storm then maybe, just maybe, there is talent coming through to supplement the youthful squad he has assembled, but if Scotland's slide down the world rankings is to stop, Williams must start making his stated policies work, provide real evidence of progress and prove himself as never before.

Kevin Ferrie is chief rugby writer of The Herald