The Glasgow hooker, deputising for injured pair Bryan Redpath and Scott Murray, said: "If we don't get early points on the board we panic.
"By contrast, Ireland were patient and ultimately very slick. They gave us a lesson in taking chances and unless we start to be more ruthless we will never be the world force we might like to think we are.
"Time is running out before the World Cup and the priority has to be to find a game plan that gets us points every time we are in the opposition 22 zone.''
Glasgow's Glenn Metcalfe went of with a dead leg while Matt Proudfoot and Jon Petrie came on late in the game.