England's Jones and Bern Call for Improvement After Convincing Win

Megan Jones and Sarah Bern acknowledged that England still have room for improvement, despite kicking off their Women's Six Nations campaign with a decisive 33-12 victory over Ireland. The win marked England's 34th consecutive Test victory, with two tries from Bern and one each from Amy Cockayne, Jess Breach, and Ellie Kildunne. Although England secured a bonus-point win in front of a record-breaking crowd of 77,120 at Allianz Stadium, Jones conceded that the team's performance was not flawless. 'I think nerves were inevitable going into a major campaign following our World Cup success,' Jones said in an interview with the BBC. 'We wanted to play in front of large crowds, and we achieved that today. We found a way to win, which is what winning teams do. I'm sure we'll refine our performance, but I'm 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. 'I'll probably reflect on the game tonight,' Jones added. 'Coming out of the tunnel was incredible, with the crowd and the anthem.' With only seven players from England's World Cup final win returning, 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,' Bern said. 'We knew it wouldn't be perfect, and we didn't expect it to be. There were aspects to celebrate and areas for improvement. The stadium atmosphere was fantastic, and that always helps us push through.'