ENGLAND bottled another Six Nations Grand Slam and boss Eddie Jones admitted: “It was all my fault.”
Ireland crushed their chance of a record-breaking 19th Test win in a row as they destroyed the Red Rose’s dreams in Dublin.
Although Jones still delivered back-to-back tournament wins he took full responsibility for his side choking at the Aviva Stadium.
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The Aussie boss said: “I take full responsibility, I didn’t prepare the team well and we will respond in the future. Everything was wrong with preparation because we played like that.
“That was like a World Cup final and we weren’t good enough. It’s better to have that experience today rather than in November 2019.
“I’m not sure what I did wrong, If I knew I would fix it. I’m like everyone else and make mistakes. This was a tough tournament and teams were at us because we were the favourites. I found it much tougher than last year.
“It was a tight old game, one or two things go your way and the game flips, they didn’t go our way today we didn’t work hard enough to get those opportunities and that’s what happens.
“I thought we could always still win the game up to the 79th minute when Mike Brown knocked it on. We knew it was going to be a tough physical game, we just weren’t good enough today.
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"It just wasn't our day and Ireland played very well. They played the conditions well and we struggled at the lineout and the breakdown and they were two key areas.
"Their defence was good and we couldn't get any momentum in our attack. We couldn't get momentum through the forwards and we couldn't get it out wide because they were off the line so quickly.
"We would have liked to have kicked a bit better, but we didn't and these things happen. At the end of the day we're back-to-back Six Nations champions.
"It would have been great to have been Grand Slam champions and World Record holders, but it wasn't our day and these things happen.
"Sometimes you play against a team that are better than you and they were today, Ireland were fantastic around the breakdown.
"There'll be technical issues around the game that we have to look at but I don't think we had any attitude problems. It was only 13-9 at the end of the game and we didn't play well."
Flanker James Haskell admitted England’s indiscipline cost them and admitted Ireland played “smarter than us.”
He said: “There are no easy games, we knew Ireland would bring that physicality.
“But it wasn’t about the physical battle, it was about indiscipline, you can’t build momentum like that.
“There was good talk out there, good messages, but it’s one thing talking about it and another thing acting on it. They played smarter rugby than us.”
Skipper Dylan Hartley also had mixed emotions after lifting the trophy for the second year running.
The Northampton Saints hooker said: "It's a strange feeling, but full credit to Ireland.
"The team has done an incredible job. We set out to win this tournament and we have won it, but obviously we are bitterly disappointed not to win every game.
"It goes to show we still have work to do - Ireland put us under big pressure and you can't make error, upon error, upon error. I know with Andy Farrell at the helm they have one hell of a defence - so credit to them.
"This keeps us grounded, we are not where we want to be yet. But we have summer tours to look forward to and big games in the future.
"I am immensely proud of the team. We set out to win the tournament back to back and it's not perfect - we didn't slam it. But hey ho, we are the champions and will take that."
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