England's Jones and Bern Identify Areas for Improvement After Convincing Win

Megan Jones and Sarah Bern acknowledged that England have room for growth, despite kicking off their Women's Six Nations campaign with a resounding 33-12 victory over Ireland. The world champions, who last played in the World Cup final against Canada in September, secured their 34th consecutive Test win thanks to two tries from Bern and one each from Amy Cockayne, Jess Breach, and Ellie Kildunne. Although they delivered a bonus-point win in front of a record-breaking Women's Six Nations crowd of 77,120 at Allianz Stadium, Jones admitted that England did not perform at their best. "Given the nerves that come with starting a major campaign after a successful World Cup, we were always going to face some challenges," Jones told the BBC. "We were eager to play in front of large crowds, and that's exactly what we got today. We found a way to win, which is what champion teams do. I'm sure we'll refine our performance, but I'm incredibly proud of the team." Jones led the side for the first time, as World Cup-winning captain Zoe Stratford was among four England players absent due to pregnancy. "I'll likely take some time to reflect on the game tonight, but the experience of coming out of the tunnel, seeing the crowd, and singing the anthem was amazing," Jones added. With only seven players from England's World Cup final win at Twickenham last autumn in the lineup, Bern recognized that a new-look team would take time to gel. "We have a new mix of players and a lot of young talent, so we didn't expect a flawless performance," Bern said. "There were aspects of our game that we're thrilled about, and others that we'll definitely review. However, the electric atmosphere in the stadium was a huge factor in helping us secure the win."