England will leave Ireland with much less than they came with. A championship win touching down in Dublin, they will arrive back in London with their first defeat under Eddie Jones, their world record winning run broken and without their back to back Grand Slam.
But it was mea culpa from the England coach. All smiles and grace, Jones metaphorically threw his hands up and said Ireland were simply better.
“I’m disappointed we lost the match,” said Jones. “I didn’t prepare the team well. I didn’t prepare them well enough. I take full responsibility. I’m human I make mistakes. I have to look and the team performance and fix it.
“I thought we were going to do it after half-time. We were getting momentum, a few breaks and then gave away a penalty in defence and Sexton kicked a wonderful field goal. Then it became the difference.”
“Ireland played superb and they were too good for us on the day. We weren’t good enough. We are all human beings. We are not all perfect and that’s why world records end at 17 games or 18 games.”
Jones added that Ireland played the conditions better and that they may have suited man of the match Peter O'Mahony better than the man he replaced just before the start of the match, Jamie Heaslip.
“They used conditions superbly and we didn’t,” said Jones. “Ireland played superbly. As I say I thought we had them after half-time . . . They were just too good for us today. That happens sometimes.”
“They brought O’Mahony off the bench. He played marvellously and the conditions suited him. They just contested the breakdown hard, contested the ball hard. Tactically they were very good but nothing surprising.”
The outspoken England coach said that nothing Ireland did tactically surprised him but that Joe Schmidt’s side executed their plan much better than England.
Surprisingly stoic, Jones added that he was proud of England’s run and that he expects 15 of his players to be on the Lions squad that goes to New Zealand this summer.
"Be proud of yourself boys," Jones told his team. "We are Six Nations champions back to back. We weren't good enough today and when we get together in November, we'll sort out what happened today.
“How many teams have a 97 per cent winning level, apart from the All Blacks. We are batting at a good average. Even Don Bradman got a zero in his very last Test.
“I expect about 15 of our boys to go [on the Lions tour]. I’ll be disappointed if it is less than that.”
Jones added that he will look on the defeat as something to learn from. The target is the next World Cup in Japan and, Saturday’s match he compared to a World Cup final.
“We are four months in to a four-year project. We still have a lot to do. Well done to Ireland, they beautifully caged it. It’s fantastic having pressure to get a performance. You go to the World Cup and you have to win seven matches. That was a World Cup final and we weren’t good enough. We were beaten.
“I think for us to win the championship it is a real achievement,” said Jones. “It’s going to be harder next year.”
