Nichola Fryday delighted with 'bittersweet' win over Scots

Ireland know all about the small margins.

Just two points the wrong side of the tracks against Scotland last year, they will be outside looking in at the World Cup later this year.

Last night they were on the right side of a one-score game, avoiding a TikTok Six Nations wooden spoon with Enya Breen's ice cool kick to convert her own try, one that came in the 84th minute, securing a 15-14 victory at the Kingspan.

"Nerve-racking, there was that belief there but Scotland were defending with their lives on the line there but we ground it out," captain Nichola Fryday told RTÉ Sport.

"We spoke about it throughout the campaign, there’s that belief, that pride in the jersey, that we don’t come off the pitch without a win.

"I’m just so proud of that performance, it wasn’t perfect but we kept going and that’s the type of a team we are trying to build that we won’t give up.

"I was having flashbacks [from the World Cup qualifier defeat in Italy].

"We had that drive and there wasn’t a moment on the pitch when we were like 'God, this is not going to happen to us’.

"It was bittersweet, it would have been nice if that had have happened in Parma but I’m just delighted that we finished the campaign with that hard-fought win."

Ireland have endured a difficult campaign, losing their opening match to Wales after conceding two late tries and then suffering heavy defeats to France and England.

In addition, they had to play without many of their sevens contingent for the last two games.

The manner of the win, which secured a fourth-place finish, will have a huge knock-on effect ahead of the squad’s inaugural summer tour.

"Look, it’s tough but that closeness that Greg [McWilliams] has brought into the squad, it’s a real team effort and you have subs coming