England's Jones and Bern Seek Improvement After Convincing Win

England's Megan Jones and Sarah Bern acknowledged that their team has room for improvement, 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 claimed 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. 'There were always going to be nerves at the start of a major campaign, especially after a fantastic World Cup,' Jones told the BBC. 'We wanted to play in front of large crowds, and that's exactly what we did today. We found a way to win, which is what winning teams do. I'm sure we'll refine our performance, but I'm incredibly proud of the team.' Jones led the team for the first time, taking over from World Cup-winning captain Zoe Stratford, who is currently pregnant with her first child. Jones reflected on the experience, saying, 'I'll probably take some time to think about it tonight. Walking out of the tunnel was amazing, seeing all the fans and singing the anthem.' 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 combination of players, and a lot of young talent. We knew it wouldn't be perfect, and we never expected it to be,' Bern said. 'There were some aspects that we're really pleased with, and others that we'll definitely review. But the atmosphere in the stadium was fantastic, and that always helps us get the job done.'