Jones shrugs off England shocker
TEAM LACKED INTENSITY BUT ALL IS NOT LOST Pace and ferocity of Scotland’s play caught the champions cold.
Eddie Jones was adamant all was far from lost for England following their shock Calcutta Cup defeat by Scotland. Saturday’s 25-13 reverse at Murrayfield was just reigning Six Nations champions England’s second defeat in 26 Tests under their Australian coach.
The reverse, England’s first loss to Scotland in 14 years, left Ireland – the only side in the tournament who can now eye a Grand Slam following three wins out of three – in pole position.
Scotland ran in three tries in a memorable first half on Saturday, centre Huw Jones crossing twice and wing Sean Maitland also going over as Finn Russell, making the most of brilliant breakdown play led by captain John Barclay, produced a commanding display at flyhalf.
England, still second in the global rankings and one of the leading contenders for next year’s World Cup in Japan, will lick their wounds at a training camp in Oxford before resuming their bid for an unprecedented third successive outright Six Nations title away to France on March 10.
England appeared to be caught cold by the pace and ferocity of Scotland’s play, with Eddie Jones admitting: “We lacked intensity and we’ve got to find out why. We got beaten at the breakdown and we’ve got to find out why.
“Scotland contested the breakdown well and read the referee well. Full credit to them.”
Jones’s admission was concerning as England’s players ought to know by now how Wales’s Nigel Owens, long one of the world’s leading referees, likes to control a game.
But the England coach, while keen to learn lessons, was also determined to put it into context.
“You can start to find shadows in the corners. Once you get into the situation we got into, it puts pressure on you and we probably didn’t execute as well as we could,” he explained.
“But I’m not going to go down the track of saying everything is wrong because not everything is wrong.”
Former England captain Chris Robshaw, a rare shining light for the visitors on a torrid afternoon in Edinburgh, insisted the squad had factored into their preparations how playing in front of a home crowd against the “Auld Enemy” could inspire Scotland.
“We spoke among ourselves in the week about what an exciting and hostile place Murrayfield could be and how great it is for them if they get their noses in front. And that’s exactly what happened,” said Robshaw.
“We’ll take our medicine and learn. We’ll keep fighting.” – AFP