Last night was one of those nights Scottish players will quickly want to forget.
Although there is nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to contemplating the manner of their loss to Australia.
Against some of the best players in the world like Nathan Cleary and co, it was always going to be a case of damage limitation and it was also going to be a chance for Scottish players to share the pitch with some of the standards. the passers of our sport.
In the end, they conceded 84 points as the Aussies opted for the lay-on-a-marker style as they go in search of a third straight World Cup.
They led 40-0 at the break before averaging more than a point per minute within 40 seconds to underscore their superiority and secure their place in the quarter-finals where they are set to meet Ireland or Lebanon.
However, the effort was clearly there from Scotland in front of more than 10,000 fans who turned up in Coventry to see some of the best players in the world.
That effort was best epitomized by St Helens star James Bell. Bell had an interesting first season with the Champions, initially struggling for playing time until he became a sporadic first-team player, which was a major plus as the Champions struggled with injuries.
He featured in the semi-final win over Salford but was unlucky to miss out on Grand Final selection.
After that, he demonstrated last night why he’s such an asset to the Champions with an incredibly hard-working display and shrewd defense too.
While many of his teammates struggled to contain the Australians, Bell missed just three tackles which was the lowest in a Scottish shirt and showed that while others struggled to prevent the green and the But to pass, Bell did not.
No wonder defensively amazing champions trust him. More impressive than that, he registered a whopping 35 tackles throughout the game and was perhaps Scotland’s finest player on the pitch.
