IT WAS ONE of the handier finishes a wing will get at Test level but they all count as five points.

Calvin Nash notched his third try for Ireland against Scotland last weekend, collecting Sam Prendergast’s long pass five metres out and crossing untouched to open the scoring at Murrayfield.

It was a connection that the pair of them had plotted the night before.

“We were rooming on Saturday night and he told me he’d give me one, so yeah, happy days,” said Nash after Ireland’s 32-18 bonus-point win.

Last weekend was Nash’s first time playing with 22-year-old Prendergast and he praised the out-half as an “unbelievable” player who “has it all.”

Nash thought he might have a second try when he raced after Robbie Henshaw’s kick through, getting a couple of nudges on the ball himself close to the Scottish tryline.

That was before Duhan van der Merwe barrelled into the Ireland wing and knocked him over before he could follow up looking for the finish.

“I thought it was going to be a penalty try,” said Nash. “I thought I was going to score at first, to be honest, but Duhan is obviously a big man and pushed me over. Bullying the little guy, like!

“But look, the ref made the call and it is what it is.”

All in all, it was a happy return to the green jersey for Nash as he played 65 minutes on the right wing before making way for Jack Crowley, who came on at fullback in a rejigged Ireland backline.

27-year-old Nash had a good Six Nations last year when he took over the number 14 shirt with Mack Hansen out injured. The Munster man scored tries against France and Italy as he started every game of the championship, then followed that up with two starts against the Springboks in South Africa last summer.

But Hansen’s return to the Ireland fold in the autumn meant Nash didn’t feature at all in that campaign.

Nash celebrates with Hugo Keenan and Sam Prendergast. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

He missed out on selection for the Six Nations opener against England two weekends ago and wasn’t named in the matchday 23 for the Scotland game either, only for Hansen to be ruled out after training last Thursday. Nash was more than ready to step up.

“Being out of the squad is tough, especially when you’re close and training the whole time with them and probably the start of the Six Nations as well, I wanted to put my best foot forward and try to get in and obviously there’s a bit more disappointment not getting selected,” he said.

“But I think with this team, as long as the competition is pushing everyone forward and the team is going in the right direction, I can slot in or anyone can slot in. It’s probably a good sign of the squad.”

Hansen is expected to have recovered from his hamstring injury in time for Ireland’s next game against Wales in two weekends, so it remains to be seen what interim head coach Simon Easterby does on the right wing.

Nash would love to add to his nine caps, yet Hansen will be eager to get back in the mix. They’re rivals but Nash explained that there is no ill feeling there.

“Everybody wants the best for each other and everyone’s a team player, they want everyone to do their best,” said Nash

“Obviously, Mack was massively disappointed but he was bigging me up since he was told that he wasn’t going to play and even after the game he was just saying well done and how much of a good game I had.

“He’s unbelievable support.”