Jones promises his side will learn their lessons

Edinburgh – England coach Eddie Jones is confident a stunning 2513 defeat by Scotland will provide his Six Nations champions with the “best lessons in the world”.

Scotland threw this season’s title race wide open with their first win over their oldest rivals in a decade.

The first half saw Scotland score three tries – a tally made all the more remarkable given it was 14 years since they had last crossed England’s try-line in a Calcutta Cup clash at Murrayfield.

Huw Jones went over for two tries and Sean Maitland also touched down, with impressive flyhalf Finn Russell orchestrating all three scores.

This was just England’s second defeat in 26 Tests under Eddie Jones, whose long-term aim is to win next year’s World Cup.

But Saturday’s defeat raised some major questions over England’s ability to dethrone the All Blacks in Japan, with Jones’s men conceding a costly 13 penalties as they were overrun by a ferocious Scotland at the breakdown.

“These lessons you don’t want to have but they are the best lessons in the world,” said Eddie Jones.

“We will learn a lot from this,” he insisted. “Unfortunately the lesson isn’t sometimes nice to take but it is a great lesson for us.

“We weren’t there in the first half and I take responsibility for it.”

England will look to revive their title bid away to France on March 10 and Jones insisted: “Regardless of the result you look at things you haven’t done well and you prepare the team for the next game.”

This was arguably Scotland’s best performance since coach Gregor Townsend took charge last year.

Scotland played well in a 22-17 defeat by world champions New Zealand at Murrayfield in November, but they never looked like letting things slip against an England side who are No 2 in the rankings. –