Jones spins defeat as ‘best lesson’ for England

England coach Eddie Jones is confident a stunning 25-13 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 oldest rivals England in a decade.

Scotland scored three tries in the first half, 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 before Scotland closed out the match.

This was just England’s second defeat in 26 Tests under Eddie Jones, whose long-term aim with the Red Rose brigade is to win the 2019 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 Jones. “We will learn a lot from this,” the Australian insisted.

“Unfortunately the lesson isn’t sometimes nice to take but it is a great lesson for us.

“It is not the end of the world — the end of the world might come when the Beast From the East comes.”

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.

“The loss hurts, with a win you get a good feeling. There is one happy team here, one dressing room singing songs and the other one is kicking stones and we are the ones kicking stones.”

● The confidence accrued by an unbeaten Ireland team would stand them in good stead as they bid to seal a Six Nations Grand Slam, said coach Joe Schmidt.

However, the New Zealander, speaking after the Irish had secured a bonus point win in a pulsating 37-27 win over Wales at Lansdowne Road, said that confidence was a “fickle friend”.

The Irish still have two tough encounters to come in 2018’s championship. They face an improving Scotland, who will visit Dublin in a fortnight.

They go to Twickenham on March 17, St Patrick’s Day, to face England, where they could secure a first Grand Slam since Schmidt took over after the 2013 Six Nations.

“Confidence is a fickle friend and is more likely to befriend you if you open up a team a few times,” Schmidt said.

“When you make a pass, and it is successful, it builds confidence. Certainly confidence does give you a bit of a boost — it builds momentum.”

Captain Rory Best said having young blood in the side was key with the Irish on a 10Test winning streak.

“The beauty of having less experienced guys is they don’t have the stigma of losing,” said the 35-year-old.