Jones takes blame for England loss

England coach Eddie Jones blamed himself for his team’s 13-9 defeat by Ireland on Sunday (NZT) that ended their hopes of a second successive Six Nations grand slam and a world record 19th tier one victory in a row.

But he said the match – and an increasingly competitive Six Nations Championship – would provide crucial lessons as the team prepare for their main goal of winning the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

England conceded an early try to Ireland lock Iain Henderson and never really threatened to get back into the match as the hosts strangled their attacking options on a windy, drizzly evening in Dublin.

All of England’s points came from the boot of Owen Farrell.

‘‘I take full responsibility for the loss today. The team didn’t play well today so I’ve got to look at the preparation and fix it. Simple,’’ Jones told reporters.

‘‘They used the conditions superbly and we probably didn’t.’’

England were already assured of this year’s title but Ireland’s win denies Eddie Jones’ side successive back-to-back grand slam titles and the chance of setting a new record of 19 successive test victories.

Jones said the Six Nations was likely to be significantly tougher next year and that England would have to fully take on board all the lessons they have learnt.

Meanwhile, Scotland gave departing Kiwi coach Vern Cotter a successful send-off by beating Italy 29-0 in the final round at Murrayfield. The Azzurri were left with five straight losses for the third time in the last four years.