Eddie Jones has aimed a brutal dig at England by putting them on the same level as Italy after their Six Nations defeat to Ireland.
The reigning champions secured a bonus-point win in Dublin with Jamison Gibson-Park, Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne and Dan Sheehan all scoring tries.
England earned a losing bonus point with three tries of their own, but were powerless to prevent Ireland from cruising to a 27-20 victory.
Writing in his column for Planet Rugby, Jones suggested that England were on par with Italy as the joint-fourth best team in the Six Nations behind Ireland, France and Scotland.
“I have long believed that there’s a significant gap between the best and the rest in Tier One rugby,” said the former Red Roses head coach.
“You might call it Tier 1a and 1b for want of a better description, with Scotland somewhere at the top of 1b and both England and Italy just behind them. This weekend amplified my view.
“We saw the teams in 1a, France and Ireland, pulling well clear of their opponents with calm and considered rugby. Scotland weren’t too far behind and for me, they consolidated their reputation for consistency.”
Jones went on to suggest that England’s display against Ireland showed they were a long way from returning to the upper echelons of the international game.
He pointed out that sides like Ireland and France are not interested in ‘histrionics’, instead focusing on their own process and doing everything to win matches.
“Top sportsmen have a way of putting a mistake moment behind them and, equally, they realise that if they land a good punch, the fight isn’t over and there’s still work to do,” explained Jones.
“That’s how teams like South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand perform in rugby. No histrionics, just consistently sticking to their game, their process, and most importantly, their winning reference process throughout the performance.
“We saw exactly this situation unfold in front of us. Ireland had those reference points to maintain emotional consistency and belief to deliver their game.
“England disrupted well in that first half, but Ireland stuck to their process, sharpened their focus on doing their thing well. England were carried out into the second half on an emotional high.
“The moment they were challenged, they went to a deep emotional low, lacking the belief in their own process of doing the same things they did in the first half.
“The result was error-laden defence and the conceding of seven penalties and two free kicks in the space of 30 minutes.”
